Of Wolves and Men
by Jana4All
Summary: KLAROLINE. Mostly follows The Originals story. Caroline, college freshman, gets the opportunity for an internship in New Orleans. Single but still heartbroken over Tyler, she accepts. Will her feelings towards Klaus change? What about Marcel? Now with Elijah, Hayley and Rebekah. Stefan appears chapter 17! Warning: the story starts slow, it will be a lengthy multi-chapter story!
1. Prologue: College Girl

**_Right, Hello! A note of warning - this is my first fanfiction. Yes, shocking.  
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**_Note no 1 - English is not my first language. Please excuse any weird expressions or grammatical errors and feel free to point them out to me!  
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**_Note no 2 - Feedback is very much appreciated! Please let me know if I should continue this story? Leave me a review saying what you are missing in the story, and what you think of it so far!  
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**_Note no 3- this will be Klaroline. But it will take us a while to get there, I am a firm believer that Caroline does not know her feelings for Klaus just yet, it will take some more time and a few more events for her to actually get a grip. _**

**_So: Prepare for a long fic where probably Klaus won't even show his face for the first 10,000 words or so.  
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**_PS. I do not own TVD, I do not own the characters. All a work of fiction based on someone else's characters. I mean you, CW, WB Pics and Julie Plec et al._**

**_Note - reuploaded Chapter 1 due to typos!_**

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Caroline loved college. Once she got used to the new freedom, that is. The sudden choice of so many more courses, the possibility to drop out of a course because, well, because you just didn't want to finish it – there was always a next semester it seemed. The endless parties and the different clubs – and most importantly the fresh start. Here, she was not Caroline Forbes, over-achiever and over- organizing control-freak/slash vampire. Here, she was Caroline Forbes, freshman. Blonde, cute, and very keen on exploring life.

It had taken her a while to get adjusted to it all. During the first orientation week she had tried out way too many courses and felt stupid in some, mostly bored in others. She had met up with more clubs and societies she ever thought could exist in one place – and that coming from someone hailing from Mystic Falls where there was another town event every other week.

After the drama of the last few years in Mystic Falls, the newcomers and ones who left (more pessimistic people would probably call them deaths), the ups and downs in her life and relationships, college life finally seemed to keep its promise. New experiences, life at its fullest. And she was determined to experience every bit of it.

There were, of course, a few downsides. First, Bonnie's death (and re-appearance as a ghost and return as not so ghostly - yes, it _was_ complicated) had shaken her to her core, as well as her best friend Elena. Elena, already changed by her new life as vampire, changed even further, slowly first but noticeably all the same, with her relationship with Damon deepening. And although Caroline in her heart understood how Elena felt and was happy for her she still could not get over it completely – Damon being the new love in Elenas' life. Stefan was one of her closest friends and then Damon being the guy using and mistreating her so badly: her friendship with Elena cooled off slightly – without either of them really knowing what to do about it.

Her relationship with Tyler, however, was back to how it's supposed to be. He returned from his travels after graduation and although he was not as keen on college life as Caroline he turned up for the most important events, he was by her side in the evenings and the weekends, and she could go back to saying "oh, I can't make it I'm afraid, i am meeting my boyfriend that night".

All good.

It seemed. If she was really honest to herself though, and she tried not to be too honest to herself about this specific topic, thank you very much, her relationship with Tyler was in a rut. Once, in a melancholic, half-drunken state and only with Elena as her witness, she had wondered aloud if maybe their relationship had actually thrived off all the drama and excitement – if maybe her relationship with Tyler was meant to be rocky. The life-and-death situations, the "this may be our last kiss ever" feeling – she kind of missed this. Only once, she had admitted to herself that she sometimes was bored out of her skull by Tyler. But was this his fault? Could she blame him for this? He, after all, never changed. He enjoyed hanging with his new found pack of wolves, he enjoyed a beer and throwing a football and long nights with Matt and the boys at the Grill. He was careless and wanted to live just day by day. Tyler was just the same guy as he's been a year ago. Minus the Hayley drama and his obsession of getting back at Klaus for whatever he had done that week.

And Caroline liked all that, no, she loved all that about him. The reliability, his deep friendship with his likes and his friends. His obsession with sports (well, it did have well-toned perks for her as well...).

But then, once in a while, a thought crept up in her mind.

_You are in college now, the rest of your life has begun. There is a whole wide world out there. With culture, arts and cities, and so much to learn. You can study not one but 10 degrees, you are a vampire after all! You can travel the world. Get as much out of it as you can. Go and live, go and meet the world._

Had she outgrown Tyler?

Was he holding her back?


	2. Prologue: the internship

**_Chapter 2. _**

**_ Just to remind you - English is not my first language.  
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**_Another note - there will be more characters later on, and they will get more substance as well. I just wanted to get the story started with a bit of prologue. Once our dear Caroline is in New Orleans the action begins! I am thinking Stefan and Rebekah, and Elena and Damon.  
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**_Last note for today - I went to university but not in the US. So this may not all really be 100% realistic. Please do point out mistakes that bother you in reviews or messages, I am happy to correct any wrong information. Also, I have never been to NOLA - any mistakes I make about this certainly beautiful city, please do let me know.  
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**_Last but not least - Reviews are most welcome - let me know if you think this whole storyline is great or crap; there's no point in posting 100k plus if nobody wants to read it. Just tell me what you think._**

**_-I do not own them. ALL CW and the writers. If I would own them Caroline would be on the Originals already and Lexi would have never died._**

The end of her relationship was not really subtle; on the contrary, it happened with a big bang. Tyler broke up with her, well kind of. He decided that college life and the way Caroline found her new life essence in it, wasn't really for him and instead, he wanted to chase Klaus, kill himself by doing so, and then hang with his pack. That's at least the gist she got out of it during all the fighting and her crying in the night he broke up. It was hard, at first. Of course, she had heard that Tyler had survived the meeting with Klaus – but then again, that didn't help her with the situation. Tyler still didn't apologize, come back or call her. He was still lost to her. She heard that he stayed in New Orleans for a while (why, she did not know but since he was not at her side it was just as bad as any other place) and then he moved on. With his pack. To god knows where.

But telling it like this makes Tyler seem really ruthless and heartless. He is not. He was heartbroken as well, she was sure. He had called her, twice – right after the break-up. Only leaving voicemails but she could hear that he was fighting with tears, that he was missing her, too. He wrote her a postcard, too. From some place in Oregon, god knows why he went up there. But he seemed keen on making sure she knew that he was thinking of her, as a "friend" at least, and that she was still on his mind.

Elena had been great during the breakup. She must have said something to Damon, too clearly, since he seemed almost understanding and he didn't make any Barbie jokes for at least 3 weeks. New record, that. But most of all, college life had saved her. All these new courses, all these things to learn – she had thrown herself into it. Volunteering left and right for organizing a rallye, a party, a panel discussion with breakfast – work, give it to me, my name is Caroline!

She was still hurting, no question, but the more time went past and the more she got involved at college and in her classes the thought crept back to her conscience: did I outgrow Tyler? Was this for the best? Maybe there is a time for everything and the time for her and Tyler simply was over and now it was time for College-Caroline.

Something she probably had not really needed college for to find out was that she was exceptionally skilled – in party planning. Who would have thought, huh? She had signed up for tourism and events classes since she always wanted to travel and see the world and being a vampire she thought it would probably come in handy. What better career for someone who does not age and has to change locations every decade or so anyway?

One course she only had taken because it seemed easy credit at the time was Events Management – and oh, how she loved it. Not only because she was a natural in it, she also loved her professor Miss Butler and the assignments she gave. Everything was possible – and even her last-minute volunteering to organize a bachelor raffle for one of the alpha-beta-gamma-whatever sororities had brought her in bonus points, once Miss Butler had been tipped off about it by one of the sorority girls.

Although still in her first year at college Caroline could well imagine starting her professional life as an events manager – maybe for a city tourism board like in Rome, or for a museum like the Louvre! It was moments like these, sitting in her events management course and hearing about what the world has to offer, that her heartache about Tyler was forgotten for a little while. He was her first love – yes. But then again, they both had many centuries to live (knock on wood) and who knows if maybe they just needed some time apart – for her to learn more about the world and for him to really experience his wolf side.

It was on one of those good days, the ones she actually felt good about herself, college, her future, and everything around her that her world was changing. Again.

Miss Butler had left her a message on her dorm room door, to drop by in her office first chance she got. It was a Wednesday but seeing as the course was always held Mondays Caroline didn't really know what she wanted. Miss Butler had made it clear once again on Monday that she thought Caroline had an exceptional talent. She was creative, hard working and didn't accept no for an answer- three very important character traits for any event manager. She also had made a comment previously about Caroline being a good candidate for the teaching assistant role for her course – once she reached her second year of college of course. Freshmen couldn't get this position. So, rather curious, Caroline made her way to Miss Butlers' office on this rainy and windy Wednesday afternoon.

The door was open, not uncommon for a professor with an open question hour and Caroline only knocked once before slowly walking in the room. Miss Butler, still youngish, probably in her 40s and dressed smart in trousers and blouse, looked up and smiled at her genuinely.

"Caroline! Great, you came. I was worried if you would get my message in time – you seem to be involved in so many clubs that I wasn't sure if you'd return to your dorm room during the day at all. And, well, my message is rather time-sensitive I must say".

" Hi Miss Butler. I have indeed a few meetings today but since your message did not say what it was about I thought I come around here first. Since, well, I guess you know that already, I am rather curious".

"Curiosity is a really good trait, Caroline – nothing to be embarrassed about. Only the curious will find joy in learning new things and trades. And especially for someone looking at a career in tourism or events you'll need a good amount of curiosity to keep yourself going through the years."

Miss Butler smiled and offered Caroline a chair across from her desk. While talking, she searched through a stack of papers in front of her and, smiling widely once she seemed to have found what she was looking for, stilled and held up a piece of paper to look at it.

"So, Caroline, since it's time sensitive, let me get right to it. You know that I am quite impressed by your performance so far. You have an impressive amount of experience already in event organization. And don't look at me as if you'd like to argue about it, I am fully aware that most of it is high-school work. But nevertheless, there are thousands of college students studying tourism and events planning and and only a handful of them ever got involved in high school at all.

No, really, I think you are not only a natural at creating a memories for people, you also have experience in doing it and you seem to have met with quite a few difficulties already in your young life- very important for anyone wanting to make a career in this. Obstacles make us grow, and they help us become better in what we do".

Caroline smiled. She still didn't have any idea where this was going but she was happy, just as probably anyone would be, to hear that her professor was so thrilled about her performance so far. And hell yes, did she have to face obstacles before. But she doubted, she thought smiling lightly, that she should mention problems with an original witch, hybrids or a two thousand immortal to her professor as "difficulties in event planning".

"Well Caroline, it is something highly unusual I want to talk to you about. I have mentioned, probably, in oneof my previous sessions that a former college friend of mine, Clare, is now working as the Head of Conventions Bureau in New Orleans. I still meet her quite regularly since from all my college friends she is actually the one working the closest to me now. Well, not unsurprising with most of my college friends being somewhere abroad nowadays."

Miss Butler sighed. Apparently abroad was an appealing thought to her as well. But Caroline did not hold that thought for long. She hated how the mentioning of New Orleans now only brought dark memories to mind. Memories of wolf bites, breakups and, well, Klaus. A topic she really did not wanted to dwell on NOW. But seriously, why could she not hear the name New Orleans and remember what she used to think about it, only a few years ago? Exciting, exotic New Orleans? City of Jazz and Music, City of Festivals and Mardi Gras.

Unconsciously, Caroline shook her head slightly. Focus, Caroline!

"My friend Clare and I met up last night over dinner and wine and it seems that the third year student I had recommended her for an internship has, well, ...died."

Miss Butler stopped for a second, seeming to reconsider what she just said. And considering how she should go on.

Caroline had a funny feeling in her stomach. She didn't really know where this was going, after all, she just arrived her and so far, she had followed her own train of thoughts. But there was this weird feeling in her stomach telling her that there was something coming up that she may or may not be ready for to hear.

Miss Butler shook her head slightly, sighed once and then seemed to have gotten back to her usual composed self.

"Maybe I have to expand this slightly here, considering as I am quite shocked about this still, as well. Rosemarie, my student, has been a bright prospect as well and I had recommended her for a semester as intern with the New Orleans Convention Board. As you know, New Orleans is the city of festivals and there's something going on all year round but most importantly of course, from March to February, the Convention Board office is working on the Mardi Gras. Rose was interning with Clare and she seemed to have done a really good job with it us well – until, well last month, when she suddenly disappeared. One morning, she just didn't turn up for work. They have found her body a week later – I think this was two weeks ago. I just found out about this yesterday, when Clare told me about it and mentioned that she will replace the intern this week. The work's already piling up again and they had been all so shocked up until now from the sudden death. Anyway, you must wonder by now why I am going on about something so awful: Clare asked me if I had a runner-up in my third-years for the internship and to be honest, Caroline – I thought of you. Immediately, without even thinking about the other third years. They are mostly in internships already anyway and there's just something about you... "

Miss Butler trailed off, seeminglyworried by now that she had made a mistake. Caroline hadn't said in a word in what felt like ages, she realized.

She cleared her head.

"How did she die?", Caroline asked. "Rose, I mean."

Miss Butler was surprised by the question. "Euh, I don't really know, actually. I think it was a robbery, they found her body dumped behind a building in the French Quarter. But then again, I don't know what they stole or who did it or anything else."

"And why did you think of me? I mean, I am, after all, only a freshman. I am not even allowed to run for TA", Caroline continued.

Miss Butler smiled now. Clearly, the conversation was back in the corner where she wanted it to be. "Actually, Caroline, I thought of you because you are a freshman. You are right, this is highly unusual but it's not something that never happened. I would be happy to have you as one of the students majoring in Events Management but I am not a fool, I know that you are involved in clubs and societies all over campus and that you have signed up in any kind of course. Something, I must admit, I think every freshman should do – getting to know themselves and finding what suits them. Offering you the internship is benefitting me. I think this will show you some of the most exciting sides of Events Management there are, and as I know Clare, you will really enjoy the team and your manager. Experiencing the work on an event such as the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, I am hopeful that you will return next semester with only one goal: making a career out of it."

Miss Butler loved, handing the paper over to Caroline while continuing. "There are lots of things to tell you about Caroline but unfortunately, one thing we do not have is time for this. Clare, as my friend, has promised me to not have anyone else taking the internship for 24 hours – which means until 8pm tonight. By tomorrow morning, she will have another intern from a college in New Orleans. But I asked her to give me the opportunity to ask you about it, to see if you'd like to do this."

Caroline opened her mouth to throw in her five cents into the discussion but Miss Butler raised her hand slightly, beckoning her to keep quiet for just a little longer, and continued. "The most important thing for you to understand is that you would have to start on Monday – in 5 days, so to speak. You'd be expected to stay until the Mardi Gras in February and work 4 days a week at the Convention Bureau. They will find you accommodation and will pay you a small intern salary from which you will be able to afford food and your travels home for weekends and stuff. Your work will be mostly level-one intern work: helping the senior staff, learning from them, shadowing Clare on her more important meetings and negotiations.

I know this sounds great – there is no way you don't agree with me on this- any girls would love the opportunity to live in this exciting city for a few months, working on one of the greatest events in America, no less. But this will also mean that you will not earn credits for your other courses you have enrolled with this semester. Once you return to college in April you will need to start afresh in your non-events management courses. Of course, on the other side, you will earn credits for the internship and you will not have to do another internship in your third year, should you stay in the tourism and events sector..."

Miss Butler trailed off. She looked at Caroline rather expectantly, apparently now was the right time for her to say something.

Caroline was, well, shocked, is probably the right word for it. She also felt split right in the middle. Her still kind-of human half felt ecstatic about it. Paid Stay in New Orleans. Mardi Gras. Internship as freshman already. Yeah, triple yeah. Her Vampire half, the one living and (less-)breathing those past two years was scared shitless. New Orleans? A city where, according to Damon and Stefan, more supernatural being lived than humans? The city where all the remaining Originals remained? Go there willingly, after she only seemed to have finally freed herself from Klaus' unwanted attention so recently? What would Klaus say, would he assume she came for him? Would he start all over again, following her, harassing her?

And that's where her human half screamed at the vampire half in her head. You are making this about Klaus? Seriously? Get a grip! He does not deserve the power this gives him! F*** Klaus! I do whatever I want – this is my life. He has nothing to do with it!

While she still contemplated everything she just heard, Caroline realized that Miss Butler clearly expected a reaction. Any kind of reaction, but probably a rather enthusiastic one. And really, was this not the answer to everything she had asked? Experiencing the world? Getting to know herself? Fresh start? Learning, new cultures – living her life?

Fair enough, from all cities in the United States, New Orleans was the one she would not have picked herself, and yes, she freely admitted that this had to do with a very certain vampire family and most importantly with one very old hybrid. But then again – she was a smart, independent and strong young woman/vampire. Who was he to keep her from this opportunity? She hadn't seen him since graduation and she had not heard a peep from him since then either. Maybe he did find something new to obsess about – maybe New Orleans was bigger than she thought and she would never run into him at all! Yes. That's it. Maybe she could just stay away from anything smelling vaguely vampiristic/wolfish.

"Miss Butler – I am speechless, as you probably have realized already. Thank you so much! I am absolutely thrilled about this, it sounds amazing. I always have love Mardi Gras and I always dreamt of going to New Orleans at least once to see it. I would love the opportunity to work for the Convention Bureau. Count me in, please – I'd be happy to start there Monday."

Caroline grinned widely at Miss Butler and her professor, who seemed a bit worried just a split second ago, smiled back at her. "That's great, Caroline! Let's call Clare straightway to drum out the details. I think the best would be for you to arrive in New Orleans over the weekend so you can settle into your room and get a feeling for the city before work starts. And rest assured – I will take care of everything there is to handle here in college. I will speak to your other professors and the dean and make sure they all understand what an amazing opportunity this is for you."


	3. New Orleans, here I come!

Of Wolves and Men

_**Hello everyone. Thanks for reading the story so far! As you probably realize by reading on – I am learning by doing, since this is my first fanfic. I just discovered the joy of conversations-writing.**_

_**As a quick note - I want to bring up the next few chapters as soon as possible since I can't wait to get into the Klaroline storyline. So here's the last chapter at Whitmore on to New Orleans next!  
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_**Reminder – English is not my first language, please excuse any weird wordings or mistakes – and please feel free to point them out in pm or review. **_

_**Reviews are welcome, let me know what you think. Good, bad? Quit writing the story or continue? Too long and too detailed or not enough descriptions? Weird wording?**_

_**One last Author Note: I currently live in a country where they are not showing TVD season 5 or TO season 1. Of course, twitter told me what is happening but since I haven't actually seen it I may leave out a few of the more confusing storylines. Such as the triple/quadruple doppelganger. Once I find a way to watch missing episodes online I may adjust the storyline!**_

After the meeting with Miss Butler, Caroline decided to take the long way back to her dorm room – and to walk it slowly in human speed. She wasn't 100% sure if she had taken the right decision – was this what she wanted? What about Tyler, what if he'd decide over the next few weeks to come back and she'd miss him then? What about Elena – would she be okay? Could she just leave her friends in Mystic Falls and run off to another city for several months? And what would her mother say? Her Mum didn't know that the Originals had taken up camp in NOLA but still, she would probably be worried if Caroline took off within a few days to spend several months somewhere else. The most nagging thought was Stefan – he just had gotten back his memory and she knew how much he struggled with the Damon/Elena situation: was she a rubbish friend, running off like this? And Bonnie – she just had gotten back. And was still dealing with her situation. Although Bonnie at least had Jeremy, Stefan however…

And there was still so much stuff going on in Mystic Falls. But – when was there a single week in the last couple of years when there was no drama, or life and death situation? Was she not allowed to have a break from all of it?

Still. After all, it was only an internship, it wasn't like this was the only chance she'd ever get in her life – she was young and would probably be able to do many more internships over the coming years.

And then, the Originals. Or more specifically, Klaus. She wasn't afraid of him like she probably should be- she didn't expect him to put her in danger or anything like that. But since he had such an enormous ego she could well imagine that he'd make this all about himself.

Walking through the grounds of college, Caroline had a look around herself. Some college boys threw a football around, some girls chatted while running and it all looked so peaceful and – normal. She deserved a little bit of normal for a while, didn't she?

'Well, I will just have to talk to Elena about it; she will put it into perspective for me', Caroline thought.

'Elena is probably back from her sports class and we can discuss it over a blood bag or something', she smirked to herself.

Elena, Bonnie and Caroline had planned months ago to share a dorm room at college and once Elena and Caroline had arrived on their first day they were shocked to have another roommate instead of Bonnie. Of course, by now, the whole situation had changed again. Bonnie was back from the dead, at least kind of – but she had not shown up for college yet; there was just too much else going on in her life and with missing the first few weeks at college she was now considering starting a semester later, if everything else panned out for her.

'This may work out rather well for me, actually – when I come back after the internship I can sign up for a couple of classes together with Bonnie. We will be on the same level then', Caroline thought.

Elena and Caroline now had the dorm room to themselves – which was rather useful since they did not have to hide their special dietary requirements or such. Elena still spend most of her nights at the Salvatore Boarding House but every once in a while they had a proper pajama party – and that rather spontaneous, you could say.

Caroline enjoyed living with Elena; they had lost touch over the last few months since Elena had her drama with Damon and Stefan and Caroline didn't want to get in the middle of it due to her friendship with Stefan.

Oh what, who am I kidding, of course she got in the middle of it and of course she had shared her opinion about it with Elena. Loud and Strong. But – since they've been friends since kindergarten she had kept the harshest criticism to herself and she had not said as much as she probably would have said to any other friend.

Living with Elena now was very good for their friendship – they talked more and they had grown closer again. Most importantly though, something she probably would never admit to Elena but what the hell, she was okay to admit it to herself – it had helped her to see just how happy Elena was with Damon to get over the situation. She still wasn't his biggest fan but Caroline did realize that Damon was good for her friend.

Going away for a few months to New Orleans – that would maybe change their friendship again. But then again, New Orleans wasn't at the other end of the world. She could still come back for holidays and a long weekend here and then. And the others could maybe visit her in NOLA as well sometime.

Caroline had arrived at their floor at Bagshawe House and could hear music coming from their dorm room. So apparently Elena was already there. She opened the door and stepped in the room to greet her friend.

"Hey Care, there you are! I was wondering what club you joined this time – Wednesday afternoons usually is your study time", Elena smiled at her friend as soon as she opened the door. She was lying on her bed, long hair in a ponytail and looking through a magazine. A mug with fresh blood was standing on her bed stand; Caroline could smell it from across the room. "I got back from my gym class and you weren't with your usual books on a Wednesday afternoon. How are you, are you alright? You look a bit shaken, actually, is everything ok?"

"You are one to speak – whenever I saw you the last few days you were joined by the hips to Damon, so to speak…." Caroline laughed. She walked over to the minifridge she shared with Elena and grabbed a blood bag herself. Pouring some in a mug, she moved over to the microwave heating the blood. While waiting for the beep of the microwave she turned back to Elena. "Actually, you are right, I am a bit confused right now and I was hoping you'd be here. I'm not sure what you'll say to it but I just come back from a meeting with Miss Butler, my events management teacher? She had asked me in for a meeting." The microwave beeped and Caroline busied herself with the mug. Elena was sitting up, moving away the magazine without as much as a glance at it again "I remember you telling me about Miss Butler, you like her, right? What did she want, is everything okay? Did you get a triple A plus on your assignment or what?" Elena was grinning and watching her friend closely while Caroline sat down on her own bed.

"There's no such thing as a triple A, Elena, you know that. Stop teasing me about that last assignment mention!" Caroline laughed. She already felt much better, less confused and she felt herself relaxing by the second while being with her childhood friend. "No, long story short, Miss Butler has a friend working for the Convention Bureau in New Orleans, managing the Mardi Gras and other events. She has a short-notice internship available and Miss Butler suggested me, " Caroline paused for a second. "Short-notice as in – starting Monday, actually".

Elena was sitting mouth wide open and stared at Caroline. But it only took her a second before she jumped up and ran over to Caroline's bed. "Oh my god, Caroline, this is wonderful!" She hugged her friend enthusiastically. "This is such great news – she really must think the world of you and you must be her best student or something! This is so well deserved, Care, I am so happy for you!" Elena giggled and jumped around happily.

Suddenly she stopped and turned towards Caroline again "What, did you say New Orleans? As in … New Orleans?" Elena went quiet, looking slightly worried.

Caroline had to laugh. "Yes Elena, exactly. THAT New Orleans. I had the same reaction! I am thrilled and beyond happy that she offered me the internship and I am so ready for doing this – getting out of it and doing something new and just getting on with my life! Urgh, I have enough of all this drama and deaths and – vampires and stuff! Don't laugh at me, I know it sounds silly but I mean all the other vampires in this case, the ones we don't like! But then again, it's New Orleans and it just makes me so angry that this bastard may hinder me from visiting an entire city, from just enjoying life for a while. I mean, seriously, doesn't he have anything better to do than to make my life miserable? Hasn't he done enough already, like, I don't know, breaking up my boyfriend and me?!" Caroline threw her hands in the air, clearly angry now and moving around in the dorm room.

"You are talking about Klaus, right?" Elena asked, slightly amused. Caroline looked at her confused. "Of course I talk about Klaus. What do you think we are talking about?"

"Well, Care, actually I thought we are talking about a brilliant internship you just have been offered – as a freshman no less. But you seem to have moved on to talk about Klaus instead…." Elena rolled her eyes slyly and giggled. "I am just joking Care, don't look at me like you want to bite me. I know what you mean – Klaus will most certainly celebrate the day he hears you are in New Orleans and he will just assume in his very own Klaus-way that you are there because you cannot live without him or something. But come on, this really should not bother you! Since when does it bother you what Klaus thinks? You are so much stronger than this and if Klaus is giving you attitude I am sure you will be putting him in his place", Elena finished laughing.

Caroline had sat down again on her bed and she was laughing with Elena. She looked relieved, she felt relieved. Elena had reacted just the way she had hoped her to. As a friend, understanding immediately what her worries were but reassuring her that it was just a typical Caroline-worrying.

"You are right; I am so much better and stronger and, well, more fabulous than him! Urgh. I cannot even think about him without getting angry but you are absolutely right. He is not stopping me from doing something I want to do – not after ruining so many other things for me already. I need a break, Elena, really. I will miss you and college and the guys, probably even Damon. And my Mom! But still, I have the feeling all this mess and breakups and deaths over the last few months really tired me. I need to get a fresh perspective on it. I need to see that there are places out there where it's not always about the end of the world or the death of a friend. I need to see that life's going on out there and that there's a life for me in there, where I can be just myself, and not only the vampire who is fighting for her life."

Caroline and Elena were hugging. They both felt more comfortable with each other than in a long time. Elena was truly happy for her friend. She had had a really bad conscience about being with Damon while Caroline was nursing her heartbreak. And she herself felt often that this was all becoming too much drama – but being with Damon, it was all dimmed by her feeling for him. Caroline would always be her best friend and she knew that now since they were all vampires they probably would attend college more than once together. She didn't really think Klaus would make any troubles. New Orleans was a much bigger city than Mystic Falls and from all they have heard from the Originals they had their own things going on over there. "Klaus may not even realize Caroline is in town until a month after she arrives or something. Why should they hang out in the same places, Caroline is a party girl – Klaus is a dark corner in the dark alley kind of guy", Elena thought. "And even if, Elijah would not let anything happen to her just because Klaus decides to make a move. Elijah is a gentleman and he'll keep Klaus under control as much as he can."

"So," Elena asked aloud. "What are the next steps? What are we doing now? Do you want to go out, celebrate or something?"

"Actually, I think I will call my Mom. And then Stefan. And then I should look through my stuff to decide what to take – I cannot take all my outfits but then again, it's New Orleans and it's office life, I will decide on my best outfits for it. Oh, maybe we should go shopping tomorrow, or Friday, after classes?" Caroline laughed when she saw that Elena was shaking her head in laughter. "Ok, you are right. I will take a chill-pill now. I will call my Mom and Stefan and then we go out to the campus bar and have a drink. And tomorrow, I will start having a look at what to take and how to pack and I probably need to buy a few books or things. Oh, and I think I will need a new purse for the office…"

Both girls laughed. Caroline felt so relieved, and suddenly, she was truly excited about it.

5 months in New Orleans, new city, new life – exciting opportunity. And Christmas or Thanksgiving, she could still come home and meet her friends.

But she definitely needed to get in some shopping before New Orleans, no matter what Elena thought.


	4. The Big Easy

_**Hello again! Thanks to anyone reading this story so far and thanks for favoriting or following it - and special thanks for "guest" for my first review (ever) - I am glad to hear that there's interest in the story!**_

_**If you have a minute I'd love to hear your opinion so feel free to review or pm me. I got the story planned out in my head but let me know if you think I should continue with it? I guess we'll get the first scene with Klaus in chapter 5 or 6 (I am very much looking forward to it already!) so I'll definitely continue until then and then you can decide if you want to read more!**_

_**A/N as usual - English is still not my first language. I will update as soon as I can, I hope I get chapter 5 out tomorrow.**_

_**This is my first fanfiction - I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**And - I don't own TVD or TO; they are not my invention and I only borrowed the characters.**_

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Although it was already after 11pm when Caroline arrived in New Orleans, the air was humid and warm; she pulled down the window in the cab she had hailed at the airport and inhaled the Louisiana air. The flight had only been 4.5 hours but she felt exhausted. Looking outside the window and letting the beginnings of New Orleans' suburbs move by in a blur, she thought about the days since learning about the internship. After finishing college classes on Friday afternoon she had indeed done some shopping and driven back to Mystic Falls. She didn't want to leave for more than a week without saying a proper goodbye to her Mum and Stefan. Stefan and she had spent Friday night first at the Grill shooting some pool, having drinks and talking about this and that before moving it over to Caroline's house where Stefan crashed on her couch. It had been a long night of talking - Stefan had told her about his last time in New Orleans which had been a good 40 years ago with Lexi. He thought it was an excellent idea to get out of Mystic Falls for a while and to see something else. He didn't budge to her pleas to come with her though; for as much as he suffered seeing his ex with his brother he still didn't want to leave them just yet - he had to tie all loose ends before moving on.

Her mother had surprised her on Saturday morning by taking the day off work and preparing a lavish brunch for the three of them, although Stefan soon bid goodbye. Caroline suspected he wanted to give her some alone time with her mom and she was very grateful for it. Of course, she didn't let him leave without hearing his promise to visit her in New Orleans very soon.

After brunch and frantic last minute packing her Mom drove Caroline to the airport which was a good hour away from Mystic Falls in Richmond, VA. She had been pleased when she had checked the flight timetables - there were 2 daily flights to New Orleans and with a flight time of under 5 hours it was not too bad to return home for a long weekend for Thanksgiving or Christmas. She had played with the idea to drive to New Orleans since she was wondering how she'd be supposed to survive out of 2 suitcases and without a car for several months. But considering the drive was more than 13 hours she decided for the flight.

The drive from the airport in New Orleans only took 20 minutes and Caroline suspected that during the day it would have taken her much longer. There was hardly any traffic on the main roads but once they arrived in the French Quarter she was taken by surprise by the masses of people on the street. There seemed to be a pub or a restaurant in every house and people were everywhere - on the sidewalks, on balconies, sitting in parks and on park benches. There was music coming from every corner and the whole area felt like party central. She loved it.

Clare, the Manager from the Convention Bureau, had organized a room for her at a small guest house in the French Quarter, the Bourgoyne Guest House. She had told her on the phone that is was within walking distance from the office and since the Mardi Gras festivities took part in the French Quarter she thought she should also stay there. The guest house was an old 1830s Creole mansion with iron balconies.

Once she paid the cab driver and took her bags she entered the building to find herself in front a beautiful winding staircase. A small sign indicated that the reception was on the first floor. The staircase and the reception area in which it ended were rather narrow but fitted with antique furniture and in the typical Creole style. Caroline loved the place on first sight. Behind the reception desk was a man in his 70s, she guessed, dozing over a newspaper. Caroline cleared her throat and smiled at him to get his attention.

"Oh, good evening, Miss. I must have nodded off, please apologize. I hope you didn't wait here for long", the man asked her. He was wearing a very old fashioned uniform which reminded her of the policemen in Laurel Hardy movies.

"No, not at all, please do not worry. I know I am arriving long after check in and I hope I am not causing any inconvenience! My name is Caroline Forbes and there should be a room reserved for me?", Caroline asked politely.

The night guard checked in a book to his right. "Oh yes, Miss Forbes. There it is, you are booked in one of our studios. You are staying here for a few months, is this right? How wonderful. The studios are all on the other side of the staircase; if you turn around and walk past the staircase and take the door over there, you will get to the other wing. The balconies and the gallery are overlooking our beautiful courtyard and the rooms are very quiet. All our studios have a private bath and kitchen with all cooking utensils so I think you will feel here right at home. Here is your key, Miss Forbes - it is studio 2-3, second floor, number 3.

There's only one more thing - if you could stop by the reception tomorrow during day time again? We have laundry facilities and such but since I am only the night guard I am afraid I cannot tell you much about them. One of the reception girls who are working here will be able to show you where they are and tell you everything else you need to know."

The night guard paused and looked at her. "Is there anything else or will you be okay to find the room yourself? I am supposed to watch the staircase so no unwanted intruders come into the building but I could show you to your room if you don't want to find it yourself?"

Caroline smiled at him gratefully "Oh that is so nice but not necessary, thanks, Mister...?"

"Oh please, call me Peter. You will meet me most nights here and if you have any problems in your room then please do call me here at the reception. The numbers are all in the rooms."

"Thanks, Peter! My name is Caroline, by the way. I will just head upstairs now but I will stop by the reception tomorrow to get more details. Thanks so much for your help. Have a good night", Caroline turned after smiling a last time and walked back towards the staircase.

"Good night, Caroline. I hope you have a good first night in New Orleans," Peter said.

The room was easy to find and Caroline was positively surprised by how spacious the studio was. Besides a bed room with a double bed she also had a dining area, a small kitchenette and a private bathroom with a bathtub. The room was furnished with antiques. The large windows in the bed room let out to a small balcony but contrary to what Peter had said her balcony opened towards the main road. She could hear the hustle and bustle on the street below when she opened the balcony doors but once they were closed again it was eerily quiet.

Caroline was exhausted. She decided to leave the unpacking for the next day and instead made a quick stop in the bathroom before grabbing her pajamas and heading to bed. The bed was very comfort and after texting her mom, Stefan and Elena that she had arrived safely and that the guest house was a charming little place in the middle of the French Quarter, she turned off the lights and fell asleep not long after.

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After a good night sleep, a shower and unpacking, Caroline went off to the reception area the next morning. In the late morning light the reception area looked more spacious than the night before and the sunshine was pouring in through the large windows. A young woman was sitting behind the reception desk, cell phone glued to her ear and talking away to someone on the other line. "I tell you, Marie, the night was such a bust! No good prospects at all and in the end, I even had to pay for all my drinks since the guy, what's his name, Paul?, well anyway, he went awol just minutes before we got the check! I tell you, he did it on purpose. Such an idiot, this will teach me to date guys from drama classes..." The girl finally realized that she had a visitor and sat up straight and looked at Caroline apologetically. Raising one finger to indicate it will only take one minute more she continued "Look, Marie, I have to go, yeah, I am at work. I see you tonight, right? All right. okay. Yes. Bye!".

Caroline smiled to herself. This sounded just like a conversation she and Elena could have had, back in high school. The girl looked older than high school though, probably Caroline's age or maybe a year older. She was dark skinned with beautiful long black hair which seemed to have been straightened. She seemed to be about Caroline's height and was wearing a flowery dress with leggings and sneakers. She was rather good looking, Caroline decided, and she looked friendly.

The receptionist had hung up and turned to Caroline. "I'm so sorry! Gosh, I just had to tell Marie everything about the most DESASTROUS night I had yesterday before she was off to her beloved gym. You see, she spends every Sunday at the gym, rather crazy if you ask me. Anyway! I guess you are the guest who arrived last night? Caroline Forbes? Can I call you Caroline? I am Sandy, well Sandrine, really, but everyone calls me Sandy. I am working here as receptionist on the weekends before Peter comes on, you met Peter, right? and I'm also here twice during the week for the evening shifts. It's all I can do besides the studies but you know how it is, I was young and needed the money, hahaahah", Sandy chatted without much of a break.

Caroline instantly liked her. "Sure you can call me Caroline, Sandy! It's great to meet you. What are you studying, and here in New Orleans? I just started at Whitmore College in Virginia but I am now on a break for an internship at the Convention Centre".

"Oh wow, internship already in your freshman year? Ambitious! I am at Loyola, it's just a few blocks down from here on the other side of Canal Street. I'm studying Drama at the moment but well you never know, maybe I will change - again, hahahahaha. It's my second year, you see, and I have already changed around a few classes in my time. Anyway, let me show you around!"

Sandy got up and put a "be right back" sign at the reception area before leading Caroline to the part of the building where she hadn't been yet. She explained the laundry area, how the vending machines worked, and what she should do in case of an emergency. They kept chatting all the way and in the end Caroline realized that she had spent over an hour in the reception area with Sandy.

"I probably should let you get back to work, sorry about that Sandy. But it's good to meet someone my age and who is studying as well. I don't know anyone in New Orleans and I was a bit worried that it would be boring here." Caroline said. "I will head out for a few hours and get some sightseeing done and I should have a look where the office is - I don't want to get lost on my first day tomorrow..."

Sandy smiled at her "Gosh, Caroline, silly you, you are not bothering at all! Most of the time I am working on papers or get my reading done while working here. It is rather quiet, we have hotel rooms and suites in this part of the building but the rush hours are in the morning and around checkout time - the rest of the day there's hardly anything to do. But you are right, you should do some sightseeing. Head over to Jackson square, it's a good place to start. And I think the Convention Bureau is just around there. I will also give you a map, hang on a second...ah here it is! And - no way to say NO- you are coming out tonight with me! It's Sunday night and Sunday night is College Pub night; the drinks are half price and it's always a really good crow. It's our regular, the girls and I are meeting in the Pub and we chat about what happened over the weekend and get ready for another week. you must come! I'm working here today until 6pm so if you are back before that we can walk together?"

"Absolutely! That sounds great, thanks!", Caroline was excited. This seemed to be just so easy to make friends around here, and it would be great to meet people from the local colleges. "I'll be back before 6 and we can then walk together, that's fabulous. thanks Sandy!"

Caroline did as Sandy suggested, she first walked towards Jackson Square which wasn't far anyway. Jackson Square was public gated park with a large statue in the middle. It seemed to be a centre for painters and art students as there were a few with easels around there, painting and discussing their work. There were also a few street performances going on and Caroline walked from one to the other and checked them out.

Caroline had already done some preparations at home; she had checked out previously online where all the local blood banks and hospitals were - she had to eat, after all. One was not far away and she walked past there just to see how easy it would be to get in there.

For the rest of the afternoon, she wandered through the French Quarter, stopping for a cafe au lait in a small cafe, looking through a few shops with the more touristy items on sale. She walked down Bourbon Street, Rampart Street and Canal Street and looked around the small side streets going off left and right. Every once in a while she snapped a picture with her Smartphone to send it to Elena - a balcony here, a building there; it just all looked so great.

Before heading back she took a ride with one of the streetcars along St. Charles and the Riverfront. She realized that this was probably a very touristy thing to do but she loved it nonetheless. Lots of tourists around her seemed to agree with her there.

Caroline headed back to the guest house just after 5pm and after saying Hello to Sandy she went up to her room to take a shower to change. Just in case she also heated a mug with blood in her little microwave before heading out again. You never know if it turns into a long night.

The girls left shortly after 6 and walked towards Loyola's main campus which was located on St. Charles Avenue, just next to Tulane Uni. Caroline had already seen it today so she wasn't too lost when walking there. Sandy explained her who they would be meeting and told her more about Loyola and her college courses.

"You will like the girls - and they will just love you, you will fit right in! You are the second blonde now in our group so that's great, Blondes always pull in the guys who offer to pay for our drinks, you see? hahahaha. The other blonde is Becky, she just joined our little pub group a few weeks ago, she is here on an exchange or something. Oh I am so bad, I must have already forgotten it again but I am sure she must have told us... Anyway. And then there's Marie, you have heard already about her. She's studying Sports and Physical Education - so she is fit! Her ancestors are French. Then we have the twins, Nina and Sarah. They are both studying medicine and they are super brains if you ask me, whenever we do a pub quiz, they know all the answers, really frustrating. They went to high school with Zoe; I am not sure if Zoe will be here since she has a new boyfriend since last week and you know how that is... who else could be there? Well, we will see. We are nearly there, just on the corner of the campus, the Pub's called the "Ruby's", you can already see the sign".

Caroline looked ahead and from what she saw Ruby's looked like the typical college pub, a few tables outside in a little yard to one side and lots of students standing around the entrance in groups and talking. They headed in. The pub was more spacious than she had expected and the name was rather fitting; it was mostly red interiors with a large centre bar and booths and tables around. There was a small dance floor to one side and some doors leading off to the kitchen and probably the restrooms on the other side. Caroline could see a few pool tables in the background. Sandy led the way and walked straight towards a corner booth. Caroline suspected it was a regular table - they probably had booked it.

The first she spotted were the twins who looked, unsurprisingly, exactly the same, only that one was wearing a green and the other one a blue dress. Caroline smiled at them. Sandy already chatted away with the first girls and once Caroline reached them, she turned around, pulled her in and said to the group "Laaaaadies, this is Caroline! She is living in the guest house where I work and she is from some small town in Virginia and she is studying in Virginia but now she is doing an internship. Let me introduce everyone - so, you have already met the twins Nina and Sarah, and this is Becky over there, and then this is...".

Caroline was rooted to her spot and she didn't hear another word. Becky, the exchange student who mysteriously had forgotten to mention where she was usually studying, was no one other than Rebekah Michaelson. And the Original was not looking happy to see her.

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_**Let me know what you think?**_


	5. The Blonde Original

_**Thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favorites so far! It's exciting to write knowing that there's an "audience" out there for it. So good to know that there are more Klaroliners. I wanted to bring up the next chapter rather quickly since I may have ended on a bit of a cliffhanger yesterday - sorry about that :-)**_

_**Klaus will be appearing soon, I promise. I hope to upload another chapter this weekend.**_

_**Reminder - I don't own the Originals or the other Vampire Diaries characters and this is purely a work of fiction. It's how I wish it would go - KLAROLINE!**_

_**Feedback would be awesome so please R&R if you have the time.**_

_**Off we go!**_

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Caroline forced a smile on her face, nodded to all the girls and sat down next to Sandy. She could feel Rebekahs stare but she ignored her completely, chatting to the twins on her other side about their medicine courses. She hopes she looks calm and relaxed and her laugh is not sounding too forced. Internally though, she feels as if she froze to ice. Rebekah - the Original Vampire, she didn't even know that Rebekah had moved to New Orleans as well after the summer away. She didn't even have one full day in New Orleans before running into not only another vampire but her least favorite in the world. And if Rebekah knew that she's in New Orleans then Klaus would find out as well - and that was something she had wanted to prevent at all costs.

The girls at the table chatted animatedly. It was clear that most of them knew each other for a while although "Bekky" and another girl called Anna apparently were new to the group. They all seemed very different from each other with majors ranging from drama to medicine and law but it just made the group more fun. A couple of the girls had been out on dates or with girlfriends to clubs and the weekend gossip was now the main topic. Caroline stayed out of most of the conversations but smiled and tried to look interested. Rebekah kept quiet as well - and she was still looking at Caroline often; and definitely not too friendly.

She had to do something before the girls realized that something was not right. Caroline excused herself and went to look for the restrooms; some cold water could not hurt after the shock. And if Caroline was right then Rebekah would follow her within an instant.

She had just entered the restroom foyer when she felt herself being grabbed and pushed against the wall. "What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here, aren't you happy to have your little Mystic Falls crown all to yourself again now that your competition is gone?", Rebekah hissed in her face. Caroline tried to move but she was pinned to the wall. "And what is your puppy saying about you being here? Apparently you are finally ready to admit that you are swooning over my brother but let me tell you - _**HE**_. _**has.**_ _**moved. on**_. You are nothing to him anymore. So, really - no reason for you to be here. You better leave before I am telling the girls outside a few stories about your pathetic little town and your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend."

Rebekah's grip loosened slightly and Caroline was able to move to the side so that they were now facing each other but without a wall behind her.

"You are one to talk", Caroline said angrily, crossing her arms in front of her. "I doubt the girls out there know all there is to know about you. Exchange student? And they surprisingly forgot what college you are coming from? You compelled them! And I am sure they'd like to know about YOUR pathetic love life; and how you tried to woe almost any guy that just so much as looked at you! And don't think I am stupid - I know that Tyler has been in New Orleans not long ago and that you are fully aware of our breakup so don't give me that"

Rebekah looked like she wanted to rip Caroline's heart out and moved in closer again so that Caroline had to walk back half a step. "Oooooooh so you are hear because you need a rebound! And you thought my brother will be available for that? Oh well, MISS MYSTIC FALLS - that's not gonna happen, he doesn't care a bit about you and he hasn't asked a single time about you since he's here." She laughed mockingly. "**YOU** will not dare to tell the girls out there anything, you will pack your little bag again and go back to where you came from - there's nothing for you here in New Orleans. We don't need a small-town princess; New Orleans already has a Queen". Rebekah threw her hair back decidedly.

**"I AM NOT. HERE. FOR. KLAUS."** Caroline hissed. "If you must know, I am here for an internship for event management and I am not going anywhere. I have the chance to help organizing the Mardi Gras festivities and neither you nor your bloody brother is going to stop me from it!"

Rebekah looked like she wanted to say something but Caroline held her hand up, showing that she wanted to add something. She sighed, and suddenly, she felt exhausted. Here she was, trying to start something new, adding new experience to her life and what happened? The first night in the new city she already had to fight the old demons.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed down a bit.

"Look, Rebekah. I didn't come here tonight to fight with you. I didn't even know that you would be in New Orleans. Let's face it like two adults: you don't like me. I don't like you. But we both moved on from Mystic Falls and judging from you sitting out there with the college girls I assume you are trying to get a new life - just the same way as I wanted to get out of the usual rut. I am **SO** done with all the drama - I wanted a break and this internship sounds like the opportunity for it."

She paused, surprised, that Rebekah hadn't interrupted her yet. Rebekah actually looked like she was really listening to her. "Why don't we make a deal, here and now. I won't say anything about you outside - as far as the girls are concerned, we don't know each other. In exchange you will not tell your brother that I am here. **You know** that I am not here for him, I am sure you do. We both try to stay out of each other's way and if Sandy tells me that you are going out with them then I won't come and if you here that I am hanging out with Sandy you won't show up. New Orleans is a big city; why should we not be able to stay away from each other and just pretend we never met each other here tonight?"

Rebekah still hadn't said anything. Caroline was nervous - the Original vampire was unpredictable; she could indeed just snap her neck and go out and tell the girls that she had left. Still, she would not back down. She had every right to be here and Rebekah would not stop her from being in New Orleanss. At least, Caroline thought, not without her putting up a fight.

But Rebekah surprised her by smiling, only a tiny smile but nevertheless. "You know what? I actually agree with you. Let's just make one thing clear - I am doing **YOU** a favor here, I could rip out your heart without anyone hearing a sound and you'd be no problem for me at all anymore. But since Matt spoke so much about you and he genuinely seemed to like you and my brother, although he is not thinking about you anymore, would not like it..." Rebekah seemed to think about the proposal again for a second and then held her hand out for Caroline to shake. "We have a deal. We don't know each other, we stay out of each other's way and I will just forget that I ever met you."

Caroline shook her hand. She was relieved and assumed that this clearly showed on her face. They both turned towards the door at the same time but Rebekah held Caroline back " One more advice though - my family are not the only vampires in town. In fact, New Orleans is rather popular amongst the supernatural so if you want to make sure my brother does not find out that you are here, you may want to be more careful. He has spies everywhere and if he hears you are here he WILL ask you why that is. And when that happens you may want to have a better excuse than some lame internship to convince him."

Rebekah gave her another mocking look but her smile lighted the mood. "Let's go back. I do want to know how Sandy's date went last night, the guy she went out with was quite handsome".

With that, Rebekah left the foyer without so much as a glance back and returned to the table. Caroline stayed rooted to the floor. She was shocked. Speechless. So, Rebekah apparently thought she was here for Klaus and the internship was an excuse? How ridiculous! She made it very clear at numerous occasions that she did. not. fancy. Klaus.

And being all so invested with the college girls out there again? Clearly, Rebekah had not changed a bit since last year in Mystic Falls. Again, she tried to fit in with the human world. Pathetic! But then again, also very sad. 1000 years old and she felt the need to compel her way into a group of college girls.

Caroline sighed but then walked back to the group as well. Sandy smiled at her and once she sat down again, she felt better. Rebekah didn't look at her and was instead talking animatedly with one of other girls. Marie leaned in to Caroline and asked about Whitmore College and how she managed to get that internship. Happily, she told her all about it.

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Caroline said goodbye to her new friends shortly after 10. She didn't want to be too tired for her first day at the internship and decided it was time to walk back. Before leaving, she exchanged phone numbers with most of the girls and Sandy told her about going out for food or a drink on Monday night and Caroline agreed. It would be great to have someone in the evening to tell about her first day.

The streets were still busy when she walked home, at least once she reached the French Quarter. A lonesome trumpet player stood at the street corner of Royal and Toulouse and when she stopped to listen for a minute a guy walked up to her to hand her a flyer. Apparently, she looked like a tourist who needed guidance as to where to spend the evenings. She looked at the flyer when continuing on her way home. The flyer didn't say much - it was black with a large monogrammed "M" on top and beneath it, it read

_ABATTOIR _

_WHERE THE PARTY_

_NEVER ENDS_

with the address typed in small font at the bottom of the page.

She decided to ask Sandy about the place but forgot about the flyer within an instant. When she arrived at the guest house she had tugged it in her pocket already.

Once back in her room, she got ready for bed before replying to a few mails and texts she had received throughout the day. Elena and her Mom both wished her good luck for the next day and Caroline typed back excitedly. She didn't mention her run-in with Rebekah to Elena; that was something she first had to think about again.

The evening had been a good one in the end - the girls all had been very nice and lots of fun to hang out with and even Rebekah seemed to genuinely enjoy herself. She even had smiled at Caroline a few times when there had been laughter all around the table and just for a second she had forgot how much she hated the original vampire - and vice versa. Maybe, just maybe, Rebekah had enough of the drama as well and she really way trying to move on. To make a life of her own. And who would Caroline to stop her from that. After all, she just tried the same - putting the past behind her and getting on with her life.

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_**Comments? Complaints? Feedback? Please review or send me a message!**_


	6. The First Day At Work

**Surprise! Quick update in between - I am working hard towards getting our first Klaus sighting so...here we go with another installment. I hope you enjoy - please read and review!**

**PS. Not mine. I only borrow them for guilty pleasure :-)  
**

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**Chapter 6**

The New Orleans Convention and Tourism Bureau had their offices near Jackson Square, just a 10 minute walk from the guest house.

Caroline was very nervous about her first day and although she had the left the pub at a decent hour to get a good night's sleep she was tired this morning. She hadn't slept very well, if this was because of the internship or the run-in with the Blonde Original she wasn't sure about herself. Once she was in bed and tried to sleep she had doubts about Rebekah and her promise not to tell Klaus about Caroline being in New Orleans. Would the Original really keep her word? Why should she? She had been right after all, Rebekah was a force to reckon with and if she wanted to get rid of Caroline she could easily do so - in very painful and less painful ways.

The weather promised an amazing day in New Orleans and the sun was shining bright. It made her worries look less severe; after all, Klaus would not _**hurt**_ her, so even if Rebekah told him about her whereabouts he may just believe Caroline about the internship and since Rebekah said that he had moved on anyway...The moving-on business had kept her thoughts occupied as well last night, if she was completely honest to herself.

Not because she wanted Klaus to like her, _of course not_. But... didn't he tell her with a grande gesture that he was in love with her, that he wanted to be "her last"? That was only a few months ago. Was it so easy to forget about her? Was she so...plain? Was this what happened with Tyler as well, by simply being away from her (because Klaus had chased him out of Mystic Falls), he had quickly forgotten about her and once he returned he didn't see any reason to stay with her?

Stefan had offered himself as sacrifice for Elena; Damon had been prepared to give up almost everything just to be with Elena - but her allure didn't even last 3 months? She won Miss Mystic Falls, not Elena. What did her friend have what she didn't?

Caroline felt bad for even entertaining such thoughts but it bugged her. Even if this was only Klaus, a psychopath and murderer, a cold and heartless killer who only thought about himself anyway - still. She would have never given Klaus a chance, _of course not_, but he had flattered her, she was honest enough to admit this. Even if it was only to herself. His attention had flattered her, knowing that he would come back for her graduation or that he would heal her friends just because she had asked him to do so. But apparently. it had only been a fleeting infatuation. And that hurt. More than she had expected it to hurt.

Caroline arrived early at the office but Clare was already in. The receptionist called the Manager for her and Caroline instantly liked Clare when she saw her. Clare was tall, with a brunette pixy hair cut, a heart shaped face and a genuine smile on her face. She was dressed in a blouse with smart dark blue jeans and Caroline was relieved that she had decided against her trouser/blazer combination on the first day and had played it safe as well with a shirt and jeans combination.

Clare showed her the intern desk in the open plan office on the first floor and introduced her to the colleagues. One guy, Robert, immediately seemed to be hitting on her but Clare didn't even raise an eyebrow so probably that was his usual behavior around girls, Caroline assumed. Most of the staff were women in the mid 20s to mid 30s and the majority seemed very nice. They told her about the plans for lunch hours (the whole office took lunch for an hour and most of them went to the French Market around the corner to grab something over there), showed her the kitchen and where she could get stationery and asked her about Whitmore College.

Clare had to run for a meeting but agreed to take Caroline out for lunch to tell her all about the job. In the meantime, Caroline had a look through the documents and folders on her desk to see what Rose had been working on. She also had the task of picking up the mail downstairs from reception and distribute it to the colleagues. It seemed like a typical intern task but Caroline was glad about it - she got to meet everyone in the office and had a chance to chat to most of them. She was determined to make a good impression and to get along with her colleagues.

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As promised, Clare returned after her meeting and took Caroline out for lunch. The others in the office went to the French Market, a large market place spanning over 6 blocks with stalls, restaurants and bars serving traditional New Orleans crawfish and Cajun food or Creole cooking. Clare, however, suggested to go to Rousseau's, a small bar/restaurant in the heart of the French Quarter. Caroline immediately liked the place, they had seating outside and the large bar room inside looked traditional and quirky. You could see into the kitchen where a dark haired girl with a headband prepared food. A young blonde girl was behind the bar and signalled them that she'd be right with them.

"They have the best gumbo in the quarter, I have been told", Clare told Caroline once they settled at a small table outside. "I never tried it myself but this has been Rosemarie's favorite place. You know, the intern with the ...accident, before you arrived? I had to think a lot about her since you came in this morning so I thought you may like to come here."

Caroline remembered the story about Rosemarie and thought the "accident" remark was rather odd. They both decided on salads for lunch and ordered with the blonde waitress, 'Camille' her name tag read. Once the sodas arrived Caroline picked up the conversation again.

"I remember Miss Butler telling me about Rosemarie. But I thought she was mugged or something, in the quarter?"

"Well, yes, that is one possibility. You see, her death is not yet too clear and in the office I told the others that it had been an accident. It could well have been, you see? She still had her purse when they found her so I am not sure about the mugging story. But she seemed to have bled to death since she had lost lots of blood when they found her. Maybe she fell and had a wound or something. I don't really know..." Clare trailed off.

Caroline's interest was peaked though. Significant blood loss? Yeah, probably not an accident, especially after what Rebekah had sad about the supernatural attraction to New Orleans. "That is a horrible story indeed. Tell me about Rosemarie, why was she so keen on this place? It seems very nice here and I think it must be great in the evenings but from what I've seen so far there are many places like this here on Dauphine Street and in the quarter?"

"Oh, you would have liked Rosemarie, I think. You remind me of her, she was bubbly and a very nice girl, she loved going out and loved the Quarter. To be honest, I think her interest in this bar had something to do with a certain guy, Thierry his name was, I believe. She told me once that she met this amazing guy here but hadn't found the courage to ask for his number. She returned to Rousseau's quite often after this and what do you say, she did meet him again. It was not long before she went missing, sadly, so I believe she never got around to start dating him properly. But she was so smitten with him, she told everyone in the office about him, " Clare laughed as she seemed to think back a few weeks.

Camille, their waitress, brought the salads and both dug in. Caroline was famished since she didn't have anything since the mug of blood on Sunday and she swore to herself that from now on she would have a mug of blood in the mornings before coming to work - she really could not afford to have any weird situations in the office. For now, the salad had to help against the worst cravings.

While they both enjoyed their food Clare told her more about the job. Since Mardi Gras was a big event several people worked on it and she was supposed to mostly handle the relationships with the local businesses and carnival clubs. Mardi Gras was not only one parade, it was a full week of festivities with several parties, parades and balls organized by a variety of clubs. And the Convention Bureau had been commissioned by the Mayor and the Council to make sure all clubs got along and did not interfere with each other's parades. It was important to determine where the parades should start and end since a parade usually also brought business to the street: lots of viewers meant lots of drinks and food required and many bars and restaurants lobbied to have a parade running along their street.

Overseeing the construction of the floats was another task; of course, each club and business built their own floats but Clare had some funny stories about what ideas they sometimes came up with as to what they tried to built. From fire-hazard to wrong dimensions; everything had happened before. And Caroline had to make sure that all clubs and businesses knew what was allowed and what not.

Since Rosemarie's disappearance more than a month ago Clare had taken on the tasks and she promised Caroline to introduce her to all relevant parties over the following days and to arrange meetings to show Caroline how it worked.

The afternoon flew by. Clare and Caroline returned to the office from lunch only to find out that the first flyer and poster prints had arrived and Caroline helped all afternoon to improve the designs and work on new proposals.

Before leaving the office around 5pm Clare told her to put on some smart trousers the next day since they would spend the day at the City Council to meet with the Mayor and some other city departments to talk about fire hazards, anti terror measures and how they could improve recycling at the event.

Caroline made a detour over the blood bank on her way back and was relieved that it was easy to grab a few bags. She was out of there within minutes and returned to the guest house. Sandy was working the reception and told her to get ready for 7pm so they could go out. There was a bar that she had been planning on checking out for weeks where they apparently did karaoke and she really needed a drink after a long and boring day at the reception.

With some time at her hands before having to leave again Caroline had a quick shower and then called her Mom to tell her all about the first day. Stefan had texted her during the day asking how it had went and she texted back as well. She missed Stefan and Elena and Bonnie already, it was weird to see so many new things and meet new people but to not have the others around to tell them about it immediately.

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After meeting in the reception area at 7 the girls made their way to the bar "King's" where Sandy wanted to go. Apparently, it was not really a karaoke bar but instead a place with a little stage where anyone who wanted could walk up and grab the mic and sing a song. And if nobody dared then they had a band or a DJ entertaining the guests.

On the way to the bar Sandy grabbed some fried crawfish from a street vendor and explained Caroline the "party mile", as she called it. For most of the bars and restaurants they walked past, Sandy had a story ready.

"The twins met guy-twins in this place and they actually hooked up - the four of them, in one dorm room! Can you imagine?"

The girls also passed Rousseau's where Caroline had lunch but when asked Sandy didn't have any story for the place. "No, never been there...but hey, we can come here one night and have a drink if you want to try it? I'm always up for trying a bar where I haven't been, new prospects and all", Sandy laughed.

They arrived at "Kings" and were disappointed by how quiet and empty it was. The good thing was that there were still quite a few tables available and they grabbed a table on the little side plateau of the bar from where you could overlook the whole place. Sandy got them a bottle of wine and ordered a platter with some snacks as well. They chatted about boys, school and college and Caroline was not surprised to hear that Sandy had no boyfriend - she already suspected this after the date story from Saturday. The time flew by and only when they wondered if they should get another bottle or at least a cocktail, Caroline realized that the bar had filled up considerably in the last hour. All tables were taken and groups of people stood around the bar and the pillars dividing the room.

Not too long ago the first girl had braved the crowd and had kicked off the open-mic session and her performance hadn't been bad. Since then only two others had tried their luck but both guys had been horrible singers and Sandy and Caroline had laughed a lot.

After a group of people started standing in their view from the table to the bar, the girls decided to hit the bar for one last drink and then leave. They just had made their way to the south corner of the bar to order when another guy climbed up to the stage and grabbed the microphone. Even before he reached it a large crowd of guys started hooting and cheering and Caroline looked around until she saw the group standing at the other side of the bar. Apparently, that guy was rather popular. Sandy ordered the drinks and when Caroline wanted to comment on the guy's fan club he started to sing.

"Wow, that guy's gooooood", Sandy said. They both had turned towards the stage and looked at the performance. "And it doesn't hurt that he's rather cute as well", Sandy added. Caroline had to agree - the guy was looking really good. He was dark-skinned with short black hair and was wearing a tight black shirt over blue jeans and both fitted his figure very well. You could see that he was the muscular type and he clearly worked out. His voice was great but Caroline thought his show was a bit over the top; he was throwing his arms around and using the full stage for his moves. "Well, he is the best performer so far tonight but he absolutely also knows this, don't you think he's taking himself a bit too serious", Caroline giggled.

The girls continued checking the singer out and both giggled and commented on his moves. Caroline looked over to his "fan club" who clearly were very much into the performance and who did not think it was over the top. One guy stood out of the crowd - he was wearing one of those stupid peaked caps that she'd been seen quite a lot lately. He seemed to look at her but after a split second Caroline realized that he was checking out Sandrine, who had no clue about it just yet. Just when Caroline wanted to tell her about the admirer, the performance ended and a loud round of applause roared through the bar. The guy with the cap moved to the stage and welcomed back the singer with a slap on the shoulder.

"Alright, Caroline, we should get out of here. I have a long day at college tomorrow and a paper due on Thursday which I haven't even started so let's go?", Sandy said finishing her drink. Caroline agreed. They made their way to the exit but Caroline turned around again to fetch the city map she had brought along and which she had left at the bar. When she turned back to the exit to catch up with Sandy she saw cap-guy walking up to her friend and handing her a piece of paper. Sandy seemed genuinely interested and smiled at him. 'Oh apparently I found out what her type is', Caroline thought. 'Lucky for her that he had noticed her already earlier.'

She met her friend just outside where Sandy was waiting for her. The guy was nowhere to be seen but Sandy seemed excited about something. "Caroline, you just missed the cutest guy. He's a promoter or something and has given me a few flyers to this new club or something. Or I don't know if its new, I never heard of it. apparently you only get in if you have a flyer so that's already cool!" She held out a black flyer to Caroline "Look, that's the place, Abbatoir or something? It's not far from here, right in the French Quarter. We should check it out!"

Caroline laughed. "Wow, I just got the same flyer last night from some other guy. This does seem to be a new club since they are handing out flyers like this. Yeah, let's check it out, when do you want to go?"

"Let's do it Friday - I got that paper on Thursday and if all the guys in the club are as cute as he was then we should bring some reenforcement and make it a girl's night!"

"I'm in" Caroline smiled. "Just send me a text when you want to meet and I'll be there".

They had arrived in front of the guest house. "I'll be working on Friday anyway so I'll see you at the reception after work and we can then head out together. Alright, I am heading home, see you Friday, girl", Sandy said.

Caroline waved at her friend and walked up the staircase to her room. She was happy about how the day had went. The job seemed great, she liked her co-workers and manager, Sandy already became a good friend and New Orleans was a really cool place to be. Getting ready for bed she thought about something else.

'And who would have thought that Rebekah really kept her word. No sign from Klaus so she did not tell him. Maybe she is trying to change. I wonder if we should bring her along on Friday?'

Setting the alarm clock for the next day Caroline went to bed and this time, it didn't take her long to fall asleep.

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_**What do you think? Feedback, comments, reviews? Did you recognize a view things from our favorite shows?**_

_**Yay or nay for keeping it close to "the Originals" TV show?**_

_**I think we will have a little Klaus appearance in the next chapter...**_

_**:-)**_


	7. Abattoir

_**First of all - thanks so much for favorites, following and the wonderful reviews - it's such a great feeling to see others like the story, thanks!**_

_**But. Now.**_

_**Are you excited? It's time to let our favorite Hybrid make an appearance...**_

_**Let me know what you think!  
**_

_**As usual - I don't own them, characters are not mine. I am only playing with them a little bit, really.**_

**Chapter 7 - Abbatoir**

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The first week at work flew by. Caroline had many meetings and met the mayor, the council and representatives from the emergency services, police and fire departments in the French Quarter. It was an exciting week and she was usually happily exhausted in the evenings. She didn't see Sandy for the rest of the week since she had college classes and only worked at the guesthouse on Mondays, Fridays and the weekends. However, the girls texted a few times and Caroline looked forward to Friday night out.

After getting home from work she usually took a stroll around the quarter or the neighboring districts. She went to a few boutiques and shops and bought postcards to send to Bonnie, Elena, Stefan and her Mom. She also bought a New Orleans gift set for Miss Butler which she wanted to mail her as thanks for arranging the internship.

Come Friday, Caroline had been in New Orleans for almost a week and she felt right at home. Yes, she missed her friends and her Mom but she had great colleagues who already invited her for several upcoming parties, dinners and other events, and she was looking forward to seeing the college girls in the evening and on Sunday for Pub Night. She enjoyed her work immensely, and by being so busy all week, she had realized the night before that she hadn't thought about Tyler at all since Rebekah had mentioned him on Sunday. This was refreshing - at Whitmore so many things had reminded her of Tyler, not at last Elena who, though probably meaning well, had mentioned Tyler often.

Someone she had thought about more often than she wanted was Klaus. The Original Hybrid had just popped up in her mind in the weirdest situations.

She had to think about him when she was in the Mayor's office and had admired the artwork on the wall. Without consciously realizing it, he had just sprung to mind and she had wondered what Klaus would tell her about the artwork and if he'd approve of it or not.

She was reminded of him when she caught a British television show on TV the other night and then again when walking down a particular beautiful street during one of her evening strolls: had this maybe been the street from which he had called her, when he had told her that he was in his most favorite city and he had wished she'd be there with him?

It was ridiculous, the more she tried not to think about him the more he just came to mind, like an annoying pop-up reminder on her computer. Why was that? She hadn't been thinking that much about him over the summer, had she? Of course not. It must have been her fear of Rebekah telling him, what else.

When she got home from work on Friday Sandy was already working and signaled her from the reception desk to come over. "Hey, girl! How was work, are you ready for paaaarty tonight?", Sandy said enthusiastically. "I was wondering - I'm working till 9 tonight and we should leave straight from here, do you mind if I get dressed in your room?"

"Sure, that's not a problem, Sandy,", Caroline said. "I'll grab a shower and get some rest and I should really call my Mom and send a few emails to my friends. But once you are done just come upstairs and we can get ready together, that should be fun. What about the others, who else is coming?"

"Ah, well, it's gonna be only Marie tonight with us - the twins have some kind of workshop tomorrow and I didn't have time to call the others, to be honest. But Marie's living in my dorm so I asked her when I met her in the hallway. She'll meet us at the street corner at 10."

Caroline did as she said - she grabbed a shower and called her Mom and Elena. Stefan didn't pick up his phone so she left him a message, telling him about her plans for tonight and how much she missed seeing him.

Sandy knocked at her door at 9 sharp and brought a bottle of vodka and some mixers with her as well. "You know, we got everything downstairs in the kitchen, I think Peter likes to have a few nightcaps, hehehe. I thought we could have a drink while we decide what to wear. I brought options."

The night started already great. Caroline found a music TV channel and they laughed a lot while trying out different outfits and putting on their makeup. Caroline decided for a classic look with a black short dress and red heels; chic but not too crazy. Sandy, on the other hand, picked a dark red short dress and black accessories. With the difference in their hair and skin color and the matching clothing colors the two looked fantastic, they decided.

As promised, Marie met them at the corner at 10 and the girls walked in the direction of the club. It was still early for clubbing so they made a detour over Jackson Square. The Square looked completely different from what Caroline had seen during the day. There was a huge crowd of people and they stood in groups around street artists, performance artists, musicians and even some kind of wizard showed some tricks. They bought some street food from a vendor and shared a soda before checking out the different performers.

They made their way to ABBATOIR after 11. Without the address and knowing that the name stood for a club they wouldn't have found it. From the street, there was only a small sign and an open iron gate leading a narrow way between two buildings. A few guys standing outside checked them out and one of them promptly asked them if they'd been invited. Sandy showed the flyers and they were sent in. The narrow way led towards a rectangle courtyard with 2 floors and balconies around it. There were already a lot of people around, loud music was playing and Caroline saw at least 2 bars on each floor. The crowd seemed mixed - most of the girls were dressed up a lot and many of them already danced in the courtyard. Around the courtyard she could see several small alcoves, possibly leading into rooms or other buildings or just being dark corners.

"This place looks amazing! I can't believe we haven't been here before. Wanna head upstairs and check it out from there? I think there's a staircase over there at the other end", Sandy said trying to speak up over the loud music. The DJ was situated on the ground floor and it was clear that the dancing area was downstairs; if you wanted to talk you probably had to move to the upper levels.

Caroline had the feeling she's been watched and turned around slightly. One of the guys from outside was standing nearby and he clearly had been looking at her just a few seconds ago but now was turning away. Something was off about him and while Caroline was still trying to figure out what it was Sandy had already grabbed her and the girls walked towards the stairs.

When Caroline saw the guy again to the right side of the staircase before they even had reached it, it finally dawned on here what had bothered her. Although he had been standing right in front of her, checking the flyers and smiling at all three of them, he had not had a heartbeat. 'He's a vampire', Caroline realized. 'That's why he had moved so quickly. And he probably realized straightaway that I am one, too'. Remembering what Rebekah had said, Caroline paid more attention to her environment. She couldn't make out if there were any more vampires around; she was not old enough to know instantly who was vampire and who was not; something Rebekah seemed to almost feel. The club was busy and she heard enough heartbeats to be sure that at least half of the guests were human.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she saw that the alcoves indeed were little dark booths - and a few of them seemed occupied. 'This would be the perfect place for vampires, really, lots of good places to have a quick bite', Caroline shuddered. She suddenly didn't feel too comfortable anymore. "Hey guys, do you really think this place is great? Don't you think it's a bit creepy? It's also much darker than the other places we've been so far, not really a good place to see if the guys are cute, no?," Caroline tried to convince her friends. "Maybe we should head for a drink somewhere else?"

Sandy shook her head vehemently. "Oh no no no no, believe me, this is great! I've seen enough places in New Orleans to know that this here is special. And I was rather hoping that the promoter would be here again, you know? And see, over there, a few of the guys seem cute. Let's just head to the bar right over there and have at least a drink and if it's boring in an hour then we move on, okay?"

"Okay, sure", Caroline nodded and smiled. "Let's see if your beau is showing his face!"

They made their way to the bar and Marie decided to pay the first round of cocktails. While she'd been ordering, Sandy remembered that she's the only one with an 21- ID and so she moved over to help her friend. Caroline looked around. The balcony was busy but not as crowded as the dance floor downstairs. Groups of people were standing around and again, she noticed that most of the girls were dressed up a lot. She could spot at least three or four groups that were clearly tourists and a few that seemed to be too young to be in a bar like this, barely out of high school, Caroline decided.

Across from the courtyard at the other end of the balcony she saw another bar set up just the same way as the one they were standing it. A crowd of people was gathered over there and Caroline spotted the dark-skinned guy from the open-mic night earlier in the week. Again, he seemed to be the centre of attention. He was standing to the left of the bar, drink in his hand, and animatedly telling a story to the group around him. There were at least 3 girls and 5 guys standing around him, almost in a circle.

'He's really good looking but he must be a total arrogant ass, the way he seems to be basking himself in the attention around', Caroline thought.

As if he felt her eyes, the guy looked up and looked her straight in the eye. It just lasted a second and, seemingly not further interested, his gaze kept wandering and soon returned again to the fan club around him. Just when Caroline wanted to turn away again and return her attention to her friends she saw the promoter standing in the crowd around the singer from last time. Again, he was wearing that silly cap and he was listening intently to whatever his friend had to say. Caroline turned to the girls who finished at the bar and made their way back to her with three cocktails in their hand.

"Sandy, I think I have spotted your beau! He's standing right over there at the other bar, you see, to the left? That's the guy with the flyers from Monday, right?", Caroline asked her friend. "His singing friend is there as well, you see?" Sandy looked up excitedly and scanned the room. "Oh yes, that's him! The guy with the hat, right over there, you see Marie? The one standing in the crowd around the cute one with the leather jacket?" Marie looked interestingly across the room, searching for the boys.

"Oh yeah, I see him. He's the only one with cap, is he not? Cute, you are right. And I think, I know the guy with the leather jacket, the one talking?", Marie said, narrowing her eyes to have a better view. "Yeah, I am quite sure that's the guy. "His name is Marcel and I think he's rich. He owns a few bars and restaurants in the quarter. I was at that one bar the other night, with the twins, and he was there as well drinking really expensive champagne and stuff, and Nina thought he was really cute. And the bartender then told us that he owned the place and several others and that he usually dated the model type, you know, not such a nice way of telling Nina that Marcel was out of her league, no..." Marie told them.

"But the guy with the cap was not there? You don't know his name?", Sandy asked. "I think I am not drunk enough - I can't just walk over there, can I? What do you girls think?"

Caroline was just about to open her mouth and suggest that they all should slowly move over to the other bar and just set up there to see what the promoter would do, when she felt herself forcefully being turned around. It happened so quick that she would have lost her balance if the grip on her arms wouldn't have been so strong, and she didn't have a chance to get in a defensive mode - being a vampire or not. Inches away, she found herself suddenly face to face, or rather nose to nose, with a **very** pissed off looking Klaus.

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His eyes were narrowed slightly and Klaus clearly was angry. Karoline couldn't take her eyes off his face - possibly for fear, possibly because she just couldn't believe seeing him here.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Klaus hissed.

As quick as the shock had appeared Caroline's emotions changed into anger. She felt offended, really. His tone left nothing to her imagination - he clearly didn't want her to be in New Orleans.

"What am I doing here? Excuse you but I do not need your permission to come to New Orleans! I know that's something hard for you to grasp but you are not the boss of mine, " Caroline hissed back.

She moved her arms with force and once he let go of her she folded her arms across her chest.

"And not that you get any wrong ideas in that big head of yours - I am so definitely not here for you and I haven't even thought about you a single time since we met last. I am here for university, or an internship more exactly, and this has not a thing to do with you."

Caroline huffed.

"And what's your problem anyway? If you don't want to see me then just don't speak to me! I didn't ask for you to come up, grab me and ruin my night out with my friends." Caroline glared at Klaus.

From the corner of her eyes she saw with terror that her friends of course had noticed her little outbreak and they had stepped a few steps away and were now whispering, most certainly about her.

Only after a second, Caroline realised that Klaus hadn't said anything and when she focused on his face again she saw that he was smiling. Caroline got even angrier if that was possible but before she could continue with her rant, Klaus moved a few inches closer.

"You misunderstood me, Love. I didn't ask what you are doing _in New Orleans_ - that is one of the better surprises of this week. I asked you what you are doing _in this bar._" He leaned in even further and spoke very quietly near her ear. "Even for such a young vampire as you, I assume that you have enough vampire senses to realize that _this_ bar is not the place for you - on the contrary, this is the last place in New Orleans where you should be, Caroline. You really should leave."

The sudden proximity made Caroline sweat and she briefly wondered why. She didn't fear him since she knew he would not kill her, he proved this too many times. But why did she always have the feeling she'd have a heart attack whenever he came this close? Before Caroline could react and reply to Klaus' warning he moved away again a few inches and continued, in a normal voice.

"And we both know, love, that you are always welcome in New Orleans and I am happy to see you. Not that I didn't expect it, I always knew you would come to your senses at one point. Small town life, not your thing now, isn't it? So, please don't be upset about our little misunderstanding. You are welcome any time, but next time, maybe visit my house first, love?" Klaus smirked at her.

Caroline heard her friends whispering again and this time she could clearly make out what they said. Sandy was rather intrigued by the "hot British guy" and she wondered why Caroline had left out the information that she apparently knew someone in New Orleans. And Marie suggested that Sandy and herself should probably leave and leave those two alone, they clearly had some kind of history?

Caroline seethed." I. am. not. upset. You are the one who rushed over here interrupting my evening. And anyway, even if you tried, you could not upset me with this. I am not here for you and you can think what you want but_** I**_ will now go back to my friends."

The same instant she turned on her heels to walk back over to her friends she felt Klaus grab her arm again and whisper in her ear.

"Do not push my patience, Caroline. I urged you to leave so you should leave. _**Now.**_ We both know that I can always make you leave - one way or the other".

"I am NOT leaving my friends here alone and since my friends want to stay for another drink I will stay for another drink. And didn't you just say that you are happy to see me in New Orleans? Well, apparently, if the Original Hybrid is so happy to see me here then nothing bad could ever happen to me, right?" Caroline hissed right back at him.

At the same time she tried to smile at her friends and signal them that she'd be right with them. Both of them looked very curious by now.

'I wonder what kind of show we are giving here right now, they probably think he's the ex boyfriend I told them about, urgh"', Caroline thought.

Klaus increased the hold on her arm and turned her around slightly. Moving closer to her ear he murmured "Okay. One drink. I am an understanding man after all. But Caroline, do not mistake my generosity - I will know if you are still here after that drink and I will make sure that you leave. The easy or the hard way."

Caroline was fuming. She nodded at him curtly and turned on her heel to walk back to her friends.

"Drink, now. And let's move to the other bar over there, please", Caroline urged the friends. One look into her face and Sandy and Marie knew better than to ask her straightaway about the mysterious guy. Caroline completely ignored Klaus and stalked off towards the bar at the other end of the balcony. Sandy threw Klaus a last look and saw him still standing where they had left him, looking after Caroline with an unreadable expression on his face.

Once they reached the bar Caroline headed straight to the bartender and ordered a few vodka cocktails for her friends and herself. Returning to the girls, she had calmed down a little bit, or at least enough to put a smiling face on again.

She turned to her friends. "Look, I know you wonder what that just was", Caroline smiled. "But really, it was nothing. That guy over there, his name is Klaus, he used to live in my town and, well he had kind of a thing for me or something but you know I had my boyfriend and we never went out or anything. So I think he's probably just still upset or something. Nothing to talk about. Let's rather focus on Mr. Flyer, don't you think?"

She grinned at Sandy excitedly. While Sandy launched again into a discussion on all the pro and con arguments of her walking over there now, Caroline looked back to where she had stood just a few minutes ago. But Klaus wasa gone and nowhere to be seen. Looking back at her friends she saw the singer from Monday, Marcel, look at her. She quickly looked away and focused back on her friends.

Since Sandy couldn't make up her mind the girls finished their drinks and Caroline told them that she wanted to leave. Marie agreed. Sandy offered to return their empty glasses to the bar. when she turned she almost ran into the cute guy with the flyers.

Marie and Caroline looked at each other and started to giggle. They turned away a bit for a few minutes but when Sandy kept talking to him they decided it was time to say goodbye and head out. Sandy clearly had decided to stay on.

"Oh, hey girls, " Sandy greeted them with a wide grin on her face. "This is Thierry, I met him on Monday when he gave me the flyers for this great place here. Caroline probably remembers, right?"

"This is Caroline, Thierry, she's new to New Orleans" Sandy pointed at Caroline. Caroline smiled politely at Thierry and shook his hand. "And this is Marie, she's studying with me at Loyola", Sandy continued.

Thierry said hello to both and smiled. He then turned to Caroline and said with a concerned look on his face: "I hope you are not leaving because of that other guy? I have seen that, looked like quite the intense situation. You know, I am friends with the owner of the bar, we can have him kicked out here in an instant and you can just stay and party with us?"

Caroline suddenly had to fight back giggles. Kick Klaus Out. She kind of wanted to see that. But then again, this Thierry seemed to be rather nice and Sandy beamed. "It's quite alright, thanks, Thierry! I knew that guy, actually. He won't bother me again, I am sure".

Even while saying it Caroline wondered if she believed this herself. Would he bother her again? Would she see Klaus again?

"Seeing how Caroline tore him to pieces I am sure he got the message, hahahaha", Sandy chimed in. "You see, Thierry, he has a crush on her and apparently he didn't get it until today".

"It's nothing, really," Caroline added nervously. She really didn't want her business with Klaus to be public news. Who knew if he was listening in right now, it would fit to him, really.

Thierry smiled at her, his face seemed to be lit up even. "Not a problem at all! Marie, Caroline - it was great meeting you and please remember, you are always welcome to come back here. And if that guy bothers you again just let me know and I will be happy to help you out".

Sandy and Thierry stayed at the bar and he ordered a few drinks. Marie and Caroline left the bar and turned towards the guest house. Caroline was nervous if Klaus would turn up once she was outside but they reached the guest house without anyone bothering them. They said good bye and Caroline climbed the stairs to her room.

After getting ready for bed and texting Elena that she had a great night - a complete lie but she somehow couldn't bring herself to tell Elena about Klaus just yet - she walked to the mini fridge and grabbed a blood bag. Curling up in her bed with the TV remote control and the blood she put the TV on mute and thought about the evening again.

So, Klaus had not known that she was in town. That meant Rebekah really had kept word. He had been angry to see her and he hadn't offered to buy her a drink - a first, since she had met him, she realized. He usually tried to get her drunk on Champagne it seemed. But then again, he appeared to be just the same - smiling and smirking and moving into her personal space too often.

'He doesn't know where I work or where I live and I will make sure as hell not go to that bar again. There's no reason why I should bump into him again', Caroline tried to calm herself.

Just when she decided to turn off the lights and go to sleep something else sprung to mind.

Thierry. His cold handshake. Standing in a group of four but only hearing two heartbeats. She had just left her best new friend in New Orleans in a bar alone with a vampire.

Damn.

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_**Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me for so long!**_


	8. Marcel

_**THANK YOU for reviews, favorites and following - you are fabulous! They made my day, really.  
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_**After the excitement of Chapter 7 let's calm down and do a filler chapter.**_

_***just kidding***_

_**In the words of one "guest" reviewer - Caroline is getting herself in some trouble it seems...**_

_**One very important note: IT WILL BE KLAROLINE. Don't be scared off by the events in this chapter. MY Caroline just needs some time to finally figure out who she really wants... **_

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_**Disclaimer - Not mine. I do not own the Vampire Diaries or Originals Storyline, I do not own the Character. I am only borrowing them to get my Klaroline Fix.**_

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**Marcel**

Immediately after realizing who Thierry really was, Caroline had texted Sandy asking her to be careful alone in the club and asking her how it was going with Thierry. It turned out Thierry had to leave shortly after Marie and Caroline, and Sandy was already on her way home. That said, she mentioned being at work the next day and that they should catch up.

Although her friend was okay, Caroline hardly slept at all that night. Whenever she thought back to the evenings' events at the club her anger flared up again. Suddenly, she had the most amazing ideas for things what she _should_ have said to Klaus. But as usual, those perfect replies are nowhere near your tongue when you need them. Caroline was tossing and turning all night; wondering what the warning Klaus had given her really meant. Did he simply not want her there? Or was there really some kind of danger at the club? Then again, if there would have been an immediate danger, then there was no way Klaus would have given her the time for that last drink. So that meant - the reason was not danger but something else. Who has he been there with anyway? She didn't see him anywhere after their confrontation, maybe he had been on a date? And he didn't want her to see? No, that didn't make any sense. She simply couldn't figure it out as much as she thought about it, and Klaus and his angry stare were haunting her all night.

After a restless night, Caroline needed coffee - lots of it. Laying in bed wide awake but groggy nonetheless, she decided it was time to put her mind off things and go shopping. She had seen so many interesting-looking boutiques and on the way there she planned on stopping for some coffee.

"Morning, girl! Gosh, you look like crap if you don't mind me saying... did you guys go somewhere else after the club, or what?", Sandy asked when Caroline finally had made it downstairs. "Where are you off to anyway?"

"Hey Sandy! You, however, are beaming! Wow, the evening must have been really good after we left, he?", Caroline smirked at her friend. "I didn't really sleep well, it probably was the late night vodka with coke that I had, I don't know. I thought of grabbing a coffee and going for a bit of shopping."

" Oh. my. god. Thierry is awesome! He is cute and he was very gentlemanly: he bought me a drink and apologized like a hundred times when he had to leave. He asked about you as well, by the way, I think he really felt bad that you guys left and he obviously thought it was about that other guy...?", Sandy tried to hide her curiosity but Caroline had expected it. She was certain that both her friends from last night wanted to hear more about the "hot British guy", as they had called him. But as long as they didn't ask her with more force she would definitely ignore it.

"I'm glad Thierry turned out to be nice! Are you gonna see him again?"

"I hope so! He's working tonight, he said but he wanted to give me a call on Sunday. Oh, and he told me about that new restaurant that opens tonight, apparently - he may be going there for a drink with his boss and he said _if I'd_ be there then, I quote 'this would be the shooting star of my night shift'. Isn't he like, super cute? Do you wanna go? Having dinner at that restaurant I mean? We can catch up and I can tell you all about Thierry!"

If Caroline was totally honest, Thierry did sound a bit cheesy but what the heck, she wasn't the one about to date him. "Sure, let's check it out. I think I have enough of clubs and late nights for this weekend anyway, let's grab some food, talk and see if we meet your Romeo again" Caroline agreed.

"Great! I have to work 'til 8 today - wanna leave then? I knock at your door once my shift's over" Sandy said excitedly. "Enjoy your shopping - I wish I could come with you! You must try the stores around Chartres Street, just south of Jackson Square - they got awesome dresses there."

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Caroline hit a coffee shop around the corner of the guesthouse first and the caffeine did seem to help - she felt much more awake after her first mug. The sun was shining and the streets in the French Quarter were already busy with tourists, shoppers and the odd street musician here and there. Wandering through the streets, Carolines' mood improved. She wouldn't let Klaus ruin her weekend, she told herself. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful city, she had plans for the evening and she already found two "maybe-dresses"; all in all, the day seemed to shape up to be a good one.

'And that stupid hybrid can just leave me alone already', Caroline thought.

Caroline had lunch at the Farmers market and bought some of the Cajun and Creole spices to bring home for her mother on Thanksgiving. She doubted that her Mum would really cook a typical Creole dish but it was a good souvenir. After another few hours of strolling around the city and trying on clothes here and there, she made a detour to a hospital in the business district. She had decided not to visit the same blood bank twice in a row, just to be safe. She didn't take many blood bags, only two or three each time, but it was better to distribute the thefts across the city area, Caroline assumed.

When she returned to the guest house she quickly waved at Sandy who was checking in a tourist family from Switzerland. After leaving her shopping in the room, Caroline grabbed a blanket, a book and her sunglasses and then settled in the courtyard downstairs for some reading and sunbathing. The courtyard was hidden from the street and empty. The sun was bathing one half of the space in sunlight and Caroline dragged a deckchair to that corner. Enjoying the sunshine and her novel she dozed off after a while.

Caroline felt refreshed when she woke up a while later. She grabbed her things and headed back to her room to get ready for the night. After heating herself some blood she decided on a simple outfit of black shirt and dark jeans with red boots. She was just about to put the finish touches on her hair when Sandy knocked to pick her up.

The restaurant Thierry had recommended was on Burgundy Street, not far from the guest house. Just as he had said, it was the opening night of 'Maison Lacour' and the restaurant was very busy. The hostess asked the girls to wait at the bar for a table and they agreed. The dining area was decorated in dark wood colors and a huge amount of candles lit the bar and were set up along the windows and the walls. The light was dimmed to a romantic atmosphere and although there was music in the background it was easy to talk. Sandy ordered them a champagne cocktail and Caroline described her shopping successes. Sandy was in the middle of imitating the weird accent of the Swiss family that had checked in during the afternoon when Caroline saw Thierry stepping up to them behind Sandy's chair.

"Hello ladies! Seeing you both here just makes the evening so much better, " Thierry said smiling widely. He gave Sandy a peck on the cheek which made her blush deep red and grin embarrassedly. "I'm glad to meet you again, Caroline. I hope you got home okay last night?"

Caroline had to admit that Thierry was quite the charmer. She had no choice but to smile at him warmly. "Thanks, Thierry. I guess the club just wasn't like the places where I usually hang out". She wondered if he'd catch the real meaning behind her remark - did he know that she was a vampire? Did he expect her to know about him?

"Sandy said you are new in town so there are plenty of places for you to try. I can give you a few recommendations later if you want? I know almost every place in the Quarter, seeing as my boss owns a number of them, hahaha" Thierry laughed.

"Speaking of my boss, I am supposed to meet him in the private dining room over there. Enjoy your drinks for now and I hope I can steal a few minutes later to join you, if you don't mind?" Thierry turned towards Caroline.

"Sure, we'd be happy for you to join us. We are still waiting for a table so I am pretty sure we are here for a while" Caroline said.

Thierry smiled again at both and gave Sandy a wink before walking towards a set of doors that Caroline had not taken notice off before. Large French doors with curtains led from the main dining area to a separate section where, straining her ears, Caroline could hear several parties eat and sit.

"Oh. wow. Isn't he perfect? I think I am totally falling for him but I only met him, is this crazy" Sandy was flushed and looked stunned. Caroline had to laugh at her friend "You really are into him, aren't you? You couldn't take your eyes off him, I saw that! Well, I guess we should get another cocktail then. I had hoped we'd be seated by now but since our waiting has a much more important purpose now than simply food..." Caroline smirked at her friend viciously.

"Damn right you are, Care - I most certainly need a drink". Sandy turned to the bar and tried to make eye contact with the bartender who was serving a couple seated a few chairs away. Caroline turned towards the entrance to see if the hostess was making any move to tell them about an empty table but she was busy with new guest arriving.

"Looks like this is my lucky night", Caroline heard a voice coming from Sandy's side. She turned to see that Thierry had returned, accompanied by a friend. Caroline recognized the singer from the open- mic night. "I told my boss Marcel" Thierry pointed towards his friend who was smiling widely at Caroline, "that you girls are sitting out here and he was very keen on saying hello to both of you. Let me do the introductions. This beautiful lady is Sandy, who I met when handing out flyers, and this charming one is Caroline, her friend from last night who also is new in New Orleans. Ladies, this is Marcel, my boss, friend and the owner of this wonderful establishment, amongst many others" Thierry laughed.

When introduced Marcel bowed slightly and smiled first at Sandy, then at Caroline. Keeping his gaze fixed on Caroline and smiling charmingly he said with a laugh "Thanks, Thierry - I will make sure to give you that pay rise you had been asking about, he? After such a great introduction!" He laughed. "It's wonderful to meet you both - I have heard so much about you already. Thierry also mentioned that you plan on eating here, is this right?"

"Yes, that's right. Thierry told me about your new restaurant yesterday and we thought we check it out. Silly us we didn't think to book a table although we knew it's opening night" Sandy said embarrassed. "But maybe you two want to join us here at the bar and you can tell us about your new restaurant, Marcel?"

Marcel spread his arms wide and laughed heartily. "Please, Ladies, there is no need to have that drink at the bar. I insist you join us in the other room and I will make sure you can try the best my chef has to offer. Please", Marcel winked at Caroline and offered her his arm.

The girls exchanged a quick look but since this was the perfect opportunity for Sandy to spend the evening with Thierry they both got up from their chairs and grabbed their bags. Caroline smiled at Marcel and took his arm before she let him lead her towards the private dining room. Marcel looked at her the entire time while leading her towards his table and Caroline felt breathless, somehow. He was really good looking and although she had thought his performance and behavior the other times to be over the top she had to admit that he was very charming. Dangerously charming. She felt giggles rise up her chest and looked away from Marcel's gaze to not give herself away. It seemed that this weekend was about to get much better after all.

Just when they reached the table and Caroline wanted to put her bag on the back of the booth before scooting in, Marcel increased the hold on her arm and whispered in her ear "I believe you are here for the food _my kitchen_ has to offer, am I right?" He paused for just an instant before smiling at her seductively "Because it would be my pleasure to make sure you get any kind of_ food_ you had planned on having tonight. This is my restaurant after all."

If Caroline's heart would have been beating it would have stopped. She looked at Marcel stunned and didn't know what to say. But in the same instant she realized again that she had not paid enough attention when Thierry had introduced Marcel - between the four of them, she could only hear one beating heart.

Before Caroline could collect her thoughts and reply, Thierry and Sandy had reached the table. Marcel smiled at her apologetically and indicated her to sit before slipping into the booth next to her. Immediately, a very pretty Asian looking waitress appeared and handed them drink and food menus. Caroline kept her head down and focused on the menu in front of her without reading a single word.

She was panicking and she was well aware of that. Maybe a quick trip to the restroom would give her a chance to figure out what to do next?

While Thierry explained Sandy what he'd recommend as an aperitif, Marcel leaned in and whispered too quiet for a non-Vampire to hear "I apologize if I have offended you. Since you already met Thierry yesterday I had assumed you knew that we are vampires as well. I didn't want to embarrass you." While leaning in, Marcel smiled at her genuinely and although Caroline still felt nervous she couldn't stop herself from smiling back."You didn't embarrass me, I should apologize for my reaction really. I guess I am not used to meet new vampires and I didn't immediately recognize you as such. But to get back to your question earlier - I am very much planning on testing the creations of your chef" Caroline smiled and when she saw the look on Marcel's face she realized that she was actually flirting with him. And that he apparently was not opposed to that.

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Marcel turned out to be even more a gentleman than Thierry. After ordering them a bottle of champagne and a selection of starters he asked their waitress to send the chef to the table for recommendations. Both Thierry and Marcel were easy to talk to and the conversation around the table started easily. Marcel made sure that Caroline's glass was never empty and he asked her for her permission before he ordered a selection of dishes for her to try. Although she didn't want to, she could not help herself and had to think of Klaus. 'He would have never asked me - the way he is bossing around everyone he probably just orders for his date without asking them' Caroline thought smugly.

Marcel asked Caroline about her internship and was very interested to hear what her tasks where for the Mardi Gras organization.

Once the mains arrived, he ordered two bottles of wine and for a little while the group was occupied by enjoying the food.

"Do you like the pasta, Caroline?" Marcel enquired. He himself was sampling a dish of deer that Caroline had declined to try. "Very much, everything is so good here! And I really like the ambience in your restaurant, I must say. It's not too quiet but also not too noisy and the lighting is just perfect," Caroline replied.

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself. I must admit, you already caught my eye last night at Abattoir but you looked rather unhappy then. I was wondering what had happened, did you not like my club?" Marcel had a serious look on his face.

"No, it was nothing, really. I just met someone I hadn't expected and the meeting turned out to be a bit unpleasant. But really, it was nothing, not even worth talking about. I probably should try the club again some other evening - since it is yours", Caroline smiled.

"I'd be honored to welcome you at Abattoir any night, Caroline. It's not happening often that such a beautiful woman is visiting my club." Noticing Caroline had turned scarlet red, Marcel continued. "Apologize, I have embarrassed you again! I can be such a klutz with women. But you must have realized last night that you were the most beautiful woman on the balcony, surely?" Marcel looked genuinely surprised. "I mean, men must find you irresistible all the time. I surely have noticed the glances you have earned last night already!"

"Oh wow, I am so embarrassed right now", Caroline laughed, still deep red in her face but also grinning widely. "I am not good with compliments I guess, especially if they are so obviously exaggerated. But thank you. Let's see if you take compliments better than I do" Caroline paused with a sly look on her face.

"Did you know that I was with Sandy when she met Thierry at King's on Monday? And I must say that I was very impressed by your_ show_ on stage..."

Marcel threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"Oh dear! And here I am sitting trying to sound sophisticated and impress you with my manners when you have already seen the worst of me. Put me on a stage and I lose all control, haha"

Caroline joined is his laughter. Whereas he had seemed too intense in the beginning she felt herself warming up for Marcel. It had been a long time since someone had been so focused on her.

'You are not thinking of Klaus again! This is completely different from the situation with Klaus. For starters, we are flirting, both, with each other.' Caroline scolded herself.

They finished their mains and after a short while the waitress surprised them with two large platters of dessert selections to share. Marcel had returned to the topic of the internship and told Caroline about the last few Mardi Gras' and the main attractions then.

"I really should be googling a few of the old floats, I guess. I am supposed to write up the guidelines for the different clubs but I am worried about it since I have never seen a New Orleans float myself. I am sure they differ from the ones we are using in Mystic Falls" Caroline frowned while trying the white Mousse au chocolate.

"Ah, not to worry, my dear. There is an answer to your problem - really. The only thing you need to tell me is if you are free tomorrow afternoon?" Marcel asked.

Caroline blushed. "Why, are you planning on building a float for me, haha? But, since I am new here and I do not know anyone here besides Sandy, I happen to be free tomorrow..."

"If you would like your own float this coming Mardi Gras then there is nothing I would like to do more than build it for you, Caroline" Marcel looked rather serious. "But for tomorrow, I have other plans. There is a place in New Orleans that is the perfect answer to any question you may have: Blaine Ken's Mardi Gras World!"

Sandy, hearing the last sentence of the conversation chimed in. "Marcel is right, Caroline, I cannot believe I didn't think of this before. You should really check it out. Blaine's has a section on the history of Mardi Gras and boring things like this but the main attraction are the floats from previous years. Every year, Blaine selects a few of the best floats to show in his museum. He also got lots of videos and photo material of the event, I am sure you'll find information to use there."

Caroline was excited, this sounded like just the thing for her to see before her second week at work. She was flattered that Marcel obviously really cared about what she had told him during the evening.

The evening came quickly to an end when Marcel's phone chimed and he received a new text message. "I am so sorry but Thierry and I will have to leave. Work calls" he said, looking apologetically at Caroline. "But I hope to see you tomorrow at noon? Let me give you my number just in case."

They exchanged numbers and after a quick goodbye the men left the table. Sandy giggled "Thierry is soooooo great! Wow. But you seem to hit it off with that Marcel, are you? You agreed on a date? I am jealous - Thierry said he'd text me but _he_ didn't ask me on a date for tomorrow..."

"It's not a date. I think. He just said he'd show me the Mardi Gras exhibition and it's a Sunday afternoon so that's really..." Caroline trailed off, having just had a thought. Afternoon. But Marcel was a vampire. Did he have a daylight ring? She always thought they were the only ones with those rings because of Bonnie. Lexi didn't have one, after all, and she had been several hundred years old. She was trying to remember if he had been wearing a ring.

Sandy looked irritated that Caroline had not finished the sentence but seeing her friend deep in thoughts she shrugged. "Whatever makes you sleep at night, honey. I hope you have a great time tomorrow. And you MUST tell us all about it at pub night anyway. Let's go, shall we? I had a long day and I am knackered, to be honest."

Caroline agreed. After checking with their waitress that the bill indeed had been settled by Marcel already they took their jackets from the wardrobe and headed out. Caroline's guest house was only a few minutes' walk away and after saying goodbye to Sandy she headed to her room to get ready for bed.

She was exhausted. With hardly any sleep last night and wandering through the quarter for several hours this afternoon she was relieved to get to bed and grab a few hours of sleep. Thinking about the next day she felt nervous. Was it a date? Was she ready to date? It felt really good to be flirting, it had been a while after all. She had been with Tyler for so long that she couldn't even remember the last time she had been flirting with someone she just had met. But Tyler had only broken up with her less than two months ago. And she didn't know Marcel. He was charming, a gentleman, really good looking and he seemed very interested in her. But then again, he was a vampire in New Orleans and with Sandy at the table she had not have the chance to find out more about his vampire side. She had no idea how old he was, or who had turned him, or what his business was in New Orleans.

'I guess I will find out tomorrow; if he does show up we will be alone so probably that will be the vampire introduction then', Caroline thought. She got into bed and turned off the lights, ready to go to sleep.

'I wonder why he didn't know Klaus. He said he saw me in the club yesterday. Klaus has been in New Orleans for months already, there is no way any vampire in this town has not found out who he is by now. I could bet Klaus made sure to mark his territory as soon as he got into town. But Marcel hasn't mentioned him...'

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	9. Floats, shakes and a nightly visitor

_**THANK YOU - **__**especially Gigi, Angel, Groen Oeg Meisie, LU Mach and guests**__**! Your lovely reviews made my day and I cannot thank you enough.**_

_**Disclaimer - not mine, do not own them, etc. You know it already.**_

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_**PS. Klaroliners, stay strong for this chapter - we are working towards a happy end, just not in chapter 9...**_

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Chapter 9 - Floats, shakes and a nightly visitor

Another beautiful day in New Orleans and Caroline reckoned that this was typical for Louisiana - sunshine and still a mild autumn: she loved it. She finally got around to catch up with her emails on Sunday morning and emailed her friends and mom in Mystic Falls with updates from the internship. She didn't mention Marcel or Klaus to Elena, Bonnie or Stefan though. Klaus, because she didn't want to rattle them. Stefan would take it the best, she expected. Amongst her friends, he was the one with the highest opinion of Klaus. She didn't mention Marcel either though and truth be told, Caroline didn't know why. He was cute, trouble-free and she was about to go on a date with him - usually, this would be prime "tell your best girlfriends" material.

She decided on a flattering dress with short sleeves and packed a cardigan for later. After getting ready and having a mug of blood - just to be sure - she headed out to Jackson Square, where the agreed meeting point with Marcel was.

Considering that she hadn't traded any vampire stories with him, she half expected him not to turn up. Maybe he had been joking? It didn't make any sense but she had the feeling that _something_ was not right. Caroline couldn't put her finger on it but thinking back to the previous evening she had the feeling that she was missing something.

Caroline arrived early and joined the audience of a jazz band playing at the edge of the square.

"A large square with hundreds of people but your beauty outshines them all. _Again_", someone said in her ear.

Smiling, Caroline turned towards Marcel. "I half expected you not to come. And stop flattering me. I had enough compliments last night to last me for a week - at least", she laughed.

"Nothing could have stopped me from meeting you here today, why did you think that?"

Marcel took her arm and directed her in the direction of the museum. "It's only a few minutes' walk down there. "

Caroline started walking in the direction he had pointed out. Marcel joined in her step. "It will sound stupid but I just wondered if you will be able to come out during the day."

"Hahahahaha, apparently you can come out during the day - why should I not be able to?", Marcel smirked. "Truth be told, the vampire who turned me told me about daylight jewellery. First chance I had, I made sure get myself one."

"I hope I didn't offend you with it. It's just - my friend Bonnie is a witch and she made the rings for me and my friend; but she also told me that usually, witches would do anything rather than helping out a vampire, so I already assumed I was especially lucky to have a ring."

"Your friend Bonnie is quite right about this. Witches would never make a daylight ring for a vampire if they had the choice. So it is probably a good thing that I own this city. You could say I am the king of the supernatural in New Orleans".

"_All _supernatural?" Caroline asked teasingly.

Marcel looked at hear with a serious face. After one second too long he broke into laughter.

"Is this your very charming way of asking me about my relationship with Klaus, Caroline?"

Stunned, Caroline looked at him. Marcel put his hands up as if to calm here. "My sincerest apologies again. Age has made me too direct sometimes, I assume. " Marcel smiled. "But Caroline, really, you are a smart woman and it is only fair to treat you as such. I have already told you last night that I have seen you at Abattoir so you must assume that I have seen you with Klaus." He paused. "I guess we can both agree on Klaus not being the subtle type."

Caroline smiled at that. "You are right. I did wonder if you had seen Klaus the other night and if you knew him. You didn't mention it before so I was not sure..."

"Last night was not a good opportunity to talk vampire business. But I did wanted to ask you. You seemed really shaken at the club. You told me you are a young vampire so... how do you know Klaus? Since you just arrived in New Orleans you must have known him before your arrival already?"

Caroline hesitated. The 'Klaus' topic was never a comfortable one; especially if she didn't know yet how Marcel stood to Klaus. The safest was always to say as little as possible.

"Klaus and his siblings stayed in Mystic Falls for a while; they only left a few months ago to move to New Orleans."

"So you were friends?" Marcel seemed genuinely curious.

Caroline scoffed. "Let me think about this quickly. He tried to enslave my best friend to be his eternal blood bag, he ran my boyfriend out of town, threatened all of my friends and killed anyone not fitting into his plan. I guess 'friends' is not the right word."

"Ah, so you have a boyfriend?" Marcel asked.

"We have broken up. Tyler was my boyfriend back then," Caroline blushed. "I should add this to the previous list - Klaus was not completely innocent in the break-up either. They didn't get along very well, Klaus and Tyler..."

'Understatement of the year, Caroline...', She thought to herself.

Marcel stopped and turned towards her. Looking into her eyes, he said with a very serious voice

"I am sorry to hear, Caroline. It sounds as if you had a difficult last year."

He started walking again and turning towards her with a smile on his face, "But luckily this is my town. _I am_ the one with power around here and you will be safe here."

Caroline was embarrassed. She hadn't planned on making him feel sorry for her; she was actually surprised that she had told him that much at all. 'That's the problem when the conversation settles on Klaus - emotions get the best of me', Caroline thought.

"Enough about me. You haven't said how you know Klaus. Did he just come into town and throw his usual tantrums? In that case, I am actually highly impressed by you still being alive" Caroline teased.

"Hahahahahahahahaha, you know him well, I see." Marcel laughed. "No. I know Klaus already for a very long time. You see - " Marcel turned towards her as if to gauge her reaction, "He is the one who turned me. Well over two hundred years ago."

She had not expected that. It was clearly to be seen on her face. Marcel didn't expect her to react though.

"Klaus took me in when I was still a human child. You could say he was something like a father figure to me. He turned me when I was in my twenties and he has been my mentor for many years after that - until his father ran him out of town." Marcel smirked bitterly. "He took his family and they left town. It was a hard time for me; the only family I ever had left me to my own demise. But this is how I got to built New Orleans to what it is now. You guessed right - Klaus has not been happy since he arrived, I admit this freely. But this is _my town_. And it has been for many years." Marcel suddenly smiled "As long as Klaus accepts this, he is very welcome to stay here."

Caroline smiled at him, although she did not feel like smiling. She had a bad feeling about this. So they knew each other? And Klaus was fine with not being the most powerful one in this city? She could hardly imagine that. 'Lots to think about', she thought to herself.

"Enough of the serious talk! Let's get into carnival mood, shall we?" Marcel clapped in his hands and turned towards the building they had just arrived at. 'Mardi Gras World' it read in large colorful letters over the door. "After you, mylady..." Marcel gestured her to enter and Caroline curtsied. They both laughed and walked into the museum.

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During their visit of the museum the mood lightened again. They talked about New Orleans and Mardi Gras and Marcel explained her which businesses he owned (a lot, it seemed). Caroline enjoyed the exhibition and she thanked Marcel when they finished a few hours later.

"This was great, thanks so much for taking me, Marcel. I wouldn't have found this place without you. But Sandy was right, it is huge. I feel exhausted" Caroline laughed.

"That's not surprising, 3 hours of Mardi Gras will do that to you" Marcel winked.

"Three hours? Oh wow, the time is flying."

"I hope I have not completely exhausted you though. I was hoping you'd let me take you to the pier for some ice cream? I am sure you haven't discovered Marilyn's Sundae place yet. It's a hidden gem and it has the best ice creams and shakes in the whole Louisiana."

"There's no woman who would say no to ice cream, I believe", Caroline laughed. "Lead the way, mister!"

They walked to the pier in amiable silence. Once in a while Marcel pointed out an especially nice shop, restaurant or a tourist sight. Arriving at 'Marilyn's', Marcel went to order them two shakes and Caroline sat down at a table outside. He had been right; it was a hidden gem and the outside seating area was not busy.

"Vanilla-Cookie-Cream for you", Marcel handed her a shake.

"Thanks. Oh - this is awesome!"

"I told you so" Marcel smiled and had a sip from his shake. "Yes, Marilyn's shakes are the best. Definitely."

Silence settled over them for a few minutes while both enjoyed their shakes.

Caroline was still thinking about what Marcel had told her about Klaus earlier and she was wondering if it would be rude to bring the conversation back to the Original. Deciding that this was her best chance of gathering information, she risked it.

"Marcel... I was wondering. You said earlier that you know Klaus already for a long time, and the rest of his family as well. " She paused. "Do you know why they are here? I mean, did you call them or something, are they here for you? I was just wondering, because they left Mystic Falls unexpectedly and kind of in a rush..."

"I was wondering about this myself. A lot. No, I don't know why Klaus is here. One day, he turned up, without any warning, and shortly after he arrived the rest of his siblings joined him." Marcel looked like he was thinking about something. "It is Klaus though - I am sure he has some kind of plan. I guess we have to wait and see?"

"Yeah...I was just wondering..." Caroline trailed off. She felt stupid for bringing up the topic again.

Marcel looked at her curiously. "Caroline - can I ask you something else? I mean, I wouldn't have asked but you brought up Klaus again and there was something I was wondering about, too."

'Oho. You really should have kept your mouth shut', Caroline thought to herself.

"Sure, ask away!"

"At the club, on Friday. What did you two fight about? It looked serious and for a minute I was actually tempted to go in between. But then ...I didn't know you yet and it did look a bit like a lovers' quarrel..." Marcel trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh no. no. no. no. Klaus and I? No. It wasn't a lovers' anything, really. Klaus...he has his very own way of showing someone that he cares, I guess. He demanded that I leave the club and told me that I was in some kind of danger or something", Caroline laughed embarrassedly.

One eyebrow raised, Marcel replied "...so, he _cares_ for you?"

"Well. I ... I don't know. I guess, maybe. I mean, we are _some kind_ of friends. I mean, Klaus did save my life. A few times actually. And he would not really harm me. I... It's complicated," Caroline sighed.

"Now I embarrassed you again. I apologize. We are here to enjoy ice cream, not talk about anything so serious. So tell me, what do you plan on doing once your internship is over?" Marcel changed the topic and Caroline was grateful for it.

They finished their shakes and joked about organizing a vampire float for Mardi Gras.

"I wanted to ask you before already but I didn't want to overwhelm you - would you like to have dinner with me tonight, Caroline?"

"Oh. Thanks. Ahm, but... I already have plans for tonight. Sandy and her friends have a regular Sunday evening thing and I promised to join them."

Marcel sighed theatrically.

"Then I hope that you will give Abattoir a second chance this week, at least?"

Caroline smiled. '_Where the party never ends_' She quoted the flyer. "I promise you I will think about it. But wow, it's good that you brought it up. I am actually running late. Sandy finishes work at 6 and we wanted to walk together but seeing as it's already past 6 I should probably go..."

"I see you want to torture me" Marcel laughed. "But I have hope - and I will make sure to remind you of your promise this week".

They both got up and walked back towards the square. Reaching the street corner where they had to part ways, Marcel bent down and kissed Caroline on her cheek. It was a fleeting kiss and it happened so quick that Caroline had not even time to get nervous or to think about it beforehand. She smiled warmly at him.

"I hope to see you soon, Caroline. And enjoy the night with your friends"

"Bye, Marcel. And thanks again for showing me around."

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Walking back towards the guesthouse Caroline saw that she had a text message from Sandy. She asked her to join them at the pub directly.

The twins, Marie, Sandy and Rebecca sat at the same table as the Sunday before. For a moment, Caroline halted in her step. She was still careful when it came to Rebecca and seeing her with the girls reminded her of Klaus again. 'Probably better not to mention Marcel since she may know him as well...' Caroline decided.

"There you are! Oh. my - that must have been an interesting museum visit..." Sandy jumped up greeting her friend. "Tell us! How was it? I already filled in the girls about our great evening yesterday."

Glancing at Rebekah, the Original seemed to be as curious as the others. Not a sign of anger or disbelief.

"It was nice. Really", Caroline laughed, when she saw Sandy's disappointed face. "Total gentleman. He showed me the exhibition and we went for milkshakes. That's it."

"But you are seeing him again, right" Sandy asked. "I mean, I was putting so much hope into this - can you imagine how great it would be to double date? And since Marcel is Thierry's boss, maybe this would mean Thierry gets more nights off" Sandy laughed.

"Marcel? They guy you went on a date with is called Marcel?" Rebekah asked.

The crease that had suddenly appeared on Rebekah's forehead made all alarm bells shrill for Caroline. "Yeah, we just met though, I don't know that much about him yet. Enough about me - how was the weekend for all of you?"

But no such luck.

"But Marie knew some things about him? He owns that cool club we went to on Friday, Abattoir? And apparently lots of other places. So besides from dating someone cute, Caroline also was lucky enough to pick someone rich, it seems" Sandy added.

Caroline was too scared to look at Rebekah. Did the Original know Marcel? And would this be a problem?

But Rebekah didn't say anything else. Instead, she asked the twins about their weekend. The conversations moved on and Caroline finally relaxed.

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Caroline was the first to leave the pub. She wanted to take a bath before going to bed and excused herself from the girls. A full week at work ahead, she didn't want to risk being tired again on Monday.

She had just turned the street corner near the guesthouse when she felt someone walking besides her. Glancing to her left, she was not surprised to find Rebekah.

"Are you kidding me?" The Original asked mockingly. "Tell me you did not go out with THE Marcel?"

"The Marcel? Is that his full name? Look, Rebekah, I didn't know that you'd know him. I only found out yesterday that he's a vampire and he only told me today about his connection with your family."

"His connection with my _family_? You must be joking."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "He told me today. And to be fair, this is none of your business. Didn't we agree just last week to stay out of each other's business? Well, I stayed out of your business."

"You better stay out of Marcel's business as well, princess. This is free advice."

"Well, thanks for the advice. But if you excuse me now, I am really tired and I want to take a hot bath and go to bed." Caroline turned towards the guesthouse but before she reached the entrance Rebekah added from behind:

"Maybe I haven't put this in words you _understand_ so let me warn you. Nic will kill you if he finds out about this. So if you don't want to take my advice, at least pay attention to the warning."

"You must be kidding. What has this do with Klaus? I can meet whoever I want - without his permission! I meet Marcel or whoever as often and wherever I like," Caroline had turned around and glared at Rebekah.

Rebekah smirked, she clearly got the reaction she had been hoping for.

"Don't say afterwards I didn't warn you."

With that Rebekah turned on her heels and disappeared down the road. Caroline exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. 'Stupid Originals, the lot of them. Ugh.'

Climbing up the stairs to her room, she was really needing that relaxing bath now.

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On her way up, Peter, the night guard spotted her and signaled her to stop by the reception. She hadn't seen him since the night she had checked in and she stayed to chat with him. Bidding him goodnight after maybe quarter an hour, she made her way up to the second floor, wondering if she had packed the bathing salts that she liked so much.

Waiting in her room for her, standing with the back to the balcony doors, was Klaus.

"What is this - annoying Originals day? Are you _following _me now?" Caroline's' anger flared up again. She slammed the door shut behind her and walked towards Klaus.

"Don't flatter yourself, love. I am not following you. A little birdie has just called to tell me what you have been up to these days."

Of course. Rebekah. She must have called Klaus immediately after leaving Caroline, telling him everything she had learned at the Pub.

'Urh, I will _kill_ her', Caroline thought.

"This is none of her business - or _yours_ for that matter! What do you want, Klaus?"

"I want you to stay the hell away from Marcel. Or better yet - I want you to leave New Orleans. Now."

"You can't tell me what to do, who do you think you are? I am staying here as long as I want - this has absolutely nothing to do with you. And why do you care?"

Adding, after a moment, she continued, "And Marcel told me about the history between you two - so don't even think about fabricating a story now. You see, _Marcel_ is telling me things - he is not just showing up out of nowhere, throwing threats in my face and command me to leave the club or the town or whatever!"

"Marcel is not who you think you are." With a taunting voice, Klaus added, "He is not interested in _you_. He is after you because of_ me_."

"I can't believe the lengths you'd go to in order to get what you want! This has nothing to do with you, Klaus. Urgh, you are unbelievable!" Throwing her hands in the air, Caroline was screaming at him by now.

"Caroline... I am warning you..." His voice turned dangerously quiet.

"Miss Caroline, is everything okay with you? Your rooms' neighbors have called. I will come in - are you decent?"

Klaus had reached the door in a flash before Caroline had fully turned.

"Klaus! No!"

She caught him on his arm when he had already opened the door and had grabbed a deeply shocked Peter by his throat, who had still the key in his extended hand to open the door to her room.

"Klaus!"

Pulling with all the force she could muster on his upper arm, Klaus seemed to hear her for the first time. Releasing his grip on Peter as quick as he had seized him, he stood back a few inches. Peter, in total shock, fell to the ground and stayed there, staring up at the two vampires.

Relief flooded through Caroline but it only lasted a few moments. Then the anger was back - and stronger than before.

"YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE! Is this the only thing you can do - Kill? Destroy? He didn't do anything, he only knocked on my door! To help me!"

Klaus' face was expressionless. He made a step towards Caroline, putting his hands up in a calming manner.

"Caroline..."

"NO! I mean it, Klaus! Leave me alone. Ugh, God! I really can't even look at you now!"

"Caroline..."

"GET. OUT."

With a deep breath, Caroline turned her back on Klaus and kneeled down to Peter. The night guard continued staring over her shoulder, too shocked to say anything. Following his gaze, she saw that Klaus had disappeared.

Caroline took Peters face in her hands and murmured his name until he looked at her. With dilated pupils, she leaned in to make sure the events of the evening stayed in her room.

Once Peter had left and Caroline was sure he wouldn't remember anything, she went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She wasn't in the mood for a bath anymore and she had difficulties staying on her feet, as drained as she felt.

Lying in her bed half an hour later, the shock only wore of slowly.

'He is such a monster. Without any reason, he almost killed an innocent man tonight. An innocent man coming to my aid. Just out of anger.'

The tears came before she finally fell asleep.

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_**What do you think? Reviews, please?**_


	10. In the Hybrid's Head

**_Thank you thank you thank you for reviews, following and favoriting!_**

**_I know I just updated - BUT: _**_**I wanted to try something new here – apologies if it doesn't work that well. Please let me know what you think – shall I try switching viewpoints again sometime or back to the usual style from now on? Your call!**_

_**Next chapter 11 we will be back with Caroline and should be up sometime this week!  
**_

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Excursion : In the hybrid's head

He hadn't meant for this to go like it did. 'Why is it we can never have a normal conversation without fighting? No, that's not completely true. We did have normal conversations, pleasant ones even. Every time she had been sent to distract or deceive me," Klaus thought bitterly. He had fled her room, yes fled. He, the original Hybrid, the most powerful being on this planet, had not known better than to flee from the situation. 'How pathetic.' Thinking about it, he was close to turn around and ... yes, what? 'What would I do? She _knows_ that I would not hurt her. And...I wouldn't. Not on purpose, not ..._physically_.'

How had he gotten himself in this situation? He should have left Mystic Falls immediately after his mothers' party, and never returned. Then he wouldn't be wandering around New Orleans in the middle of the night, trying to understand what he had done wrong.

Klaus did know that going after the human, the night guard, had been a mistake. But he didn't actually hurt him - he had just reacted. 'She should know, understand, that I just followed my natural instinct - an instinct that she possesses as well. I have gotten used to my vampire traits for a 1000 years; it's not something you can just turn off for the duration of a conversation.'

All he had wanted to do was to make sure she was safe. Rebecca had called him when he was on his way to Abattoir; and in the 30 seconds conversation they have had, she had blurted out that Marcel was wooing Caroline and that they had spent the weekend together.

' Not much to go by now, is it?'

He had planned on explaining to Caroline who Marcel was, and that she had to be careful, that he may be dangerous for her.

'Then why didn't I?' Klaus wondered. 'Because as soon as she walked into the room, looking beautiful as ever, I was... jealous. I couldn't bear the idea of her spending a single minute with Marcel, let alone a weekend!'

And when she then mentioned Marcel, using his name as if he'd be her lover already, he had lost it, any good intention out of the window. He had wanted to harm, hurt, destroy - anything.

Thinking about it, he still wanted to harm, hurt and destroy. Possibly in this order even. So where do you go, as the Original Hybrid, if you want_ revenge_?

'Time to pay Marcel a visit'.

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Marcel had expected Klaus already for hours; he had said to come by Abattoir in the evening. The plan had been to have a friendly drink, and no question, to fake friends. When Marcel saw Klaus' face that night, he knew that there was something else on the hybrid's mind.

"Klaus, my friend! Where have you been, I was wondering if you'd forgotten about me," Marcel greeted Klaus with open arms. "But as usual, you are right in time for us opening a new bottle. What should it be, rum or tequila?"

"I'm not here to drink_ with_ you Marcel. If at all, I am here to drink _from_ you and then I will have it straight from your heart after ripping it out of you " Klaus growled.

"Oh, calm now, Klaus, calm now. What has happened to put you in such a bad mood? Did Rebecca throw one of her fits again? Come, sit, let's talk about it." Looking at his employees, he dismissed them from the room so that the two vampires remained on their own.

"What is your deal with Caroline, Marcel? What are you playing at?"

Marcel had a surprised look on his face. "Caroline? You are here because of Caroline? Has she told you that we have met? We have met at my new restaurant opening, last night."

"No, she has not told me anything. Rebecca called me to warn me of your plans."

"My _plans_?" Marcel laughed. "Oh come now, Klaus, what are these plans supposed to be? And since when do you believe Rebecca if she calls you with one of her theatrics? I do not have any plans, Klaus. As I just said, and as Caroline could tell you anytime as well, we have met at my restaurant last night and I showed her around New Orleans today."

Marcel added a small pause, if for effect or because he had to think about what to say, Klaus did not know.

"I wonder though why this rattles you so much. _I have_ asked Caroline about you and she had mentioned you have lived in the same town and that be it. I didn't know you two were involved. I did ask her if she had a boyfriend and she had declined that...?" Marcel raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want her to get hurt and I don't like the schemes you are playing. I am warning you, Marcel, if ..."

"I am not playing any schemes here, Klaus", Marcel interrupted. "Caroline is breathtaking, is she not? We had such a good time this weekend and I was hoping to see more of her. I do not plan on hurting her, on the contrary! But - " another pause for effect, it seemed. " if _she_ is your weak spot then of course I will respect that..."

'Weak spot? That seems to hit the nail on the head', Klaus thought bitterly. 'But damned I will be if I tell _you_ this...'

"Weak spot?" Klaus laughed loudly. "I am the original hybrid, I have survived for over 1000 years. Do you really think I would have done so if I'd have a weak spot?"

"All good then, I guess. There should not be a problem with me showing her a good time then?" Marcel enquired with a huge grin on his face.

Before Klaus could comment on this, the door flew open and an angry looking Rebekah ran in.

"Nic! What are you...? Why are you here, why are you not telling little Miss Mystic Falls off?"

"Sister! How unpleasant for you to join us. This conversation has nothing to do with you"

"This has everything to do with me. Without me, you wouldn't have found out about Caroline and Marcel. But I didn't tell you so you could blame Marcel! Don't you see, that wanna-be princess came to New Orleans to find the best prospect and she is now playing with fire. You should be angry with her, not Marcel!"

"Rebekah, don't speak about things you do not understand. Caroline is a young impressionable vampire, I am here to make sure Marcel understands this."

"And I am very grateful to you, Klaus. That is what a true mentor is for. And since we have sorted this out now, shall we have that drink together?" Marcel grinned. He looked very amused, in fact.

"I cannot stay. I have business elsewhere." Klaus said abruptly and turned on his heels. Within a second he was gone.

"I will stay for that drink, Marcel?" Rebekah said.

"Well, you know where the bar is, Rebekah. I must attend to business with the boys, excuse me," Marcel replied.

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Klaus had no business to attend to. And he was damn sure that Marcel knew that as well. 'How did I not see this coming, how did I get myself into this conversation? If he had only suspected it before he will now be certain that Caroline is a bargaining chip. I cannot let this happen.' Klaus brooded. ' And damn, Rebekah. If my sister would , just for once, think before speaking her mind! Did she not realize what her meddling may cause?'

Klaus had reached his plantation, and sitting down in the library after fixing himself a drink, he had made up his mind. 'I must find a way to convince Marcel that Caroline is not worth being chased for _my sake_. But how do I do this without making Caroline believe she does not matter to me?"

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Still at Abattoir, Marcel was exhilarated. Never would he have thought to see his plan bear fruits so soon. So Thierry had suspected right; the original hybrid was infatuated with Caroline. And Caroline had the power to get close to him.

'Klaus was not supposed to find out about us so soon. I must speed up things before he manages to convince Caroline to leave town, or to scare her off. I must earn her trust as soon as possible. Maybe I should enlist some additional help...' Marcel smirked.

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_**Thoughts? Yay or nay? Back to Caroline-only or shall I switch from time to time?**_


	11. Best Gumbo in Town

**Thanks for the reviews, follows, favorites, especially gigi, secile, onceuponatimeships, Groen Oog Meisie, Angel, xxxLeaniexxx, SwanQueen4055 and the guests!**

**You made my day/evening/night. Bit of an angsty one again but we have to endure the angst to earn the fluff, so to speak!  
**

**Next update should be up soon.**

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**Chapter 11 - A trip into the past and the best gumbo in town**

If someone would have asked her, Caroline could not have said why she was crying. She just felt like it. She felt...disappointed, angry with herself, with Rebecca, with Klaus, with Marcel even. She felt alone, the first time since arriving in New Orleans, she felt really homesick. For a minute, Caroline was tempted to call Stefan and tell him about it but then again…... Stefan, the wonderful, caring friend of hers, he would probably just jump on the next plane and come to 'rescue' her.

'Get a grip, Caroline, nothing actually happened.'

One thing she felt, and she really didn't like that, was shame. Shame for behaving like she had. Truth be told, she had wanted to hurt Klaus, she had lashed out on purpose. And now, after it happened, she had no idea why.

She had not wanted this to happen. She had enjoyed the day with Marcel, no question there. He was fun, he was charming, he was flirting with her, and she knew that. And that had flattered her. For years, she had been second best; she had gotten the attention of boys _after_ they had tried with her best friend Elena. Tyler was the first to look at her_ first_. And she had loved him for that, for putting her first. But Tyler and her, they were over. And ever since, Caroline had felt alone. Alone in a crowd of people.

It had felt so good to be wanted again, to be the center of attention, to forget the drama and the life and death and just flirt and laugh and have fun.

Marcel had seemed perfect for that - harmless fun. She didn't expect him to be her one true love. She did not have butterflies in her stomach, not the previous night and not during their outing today.

And this, exactly this, is what she would have told Elena, or Stefan, or even her Mom, if they should have been the one visiting her tonight. But it had been Klaus. And the moment he had _commanded _her to leave, she had lost it.

'And that's always happening; he is just so infuriating. Why can't we have a normal conversation like other people, calm, and like adults', Caroline wondered to herself.

What she had really wanted to say was something like 'Klaus, what are you getting so worked up about. There's nothing going on with Marcel, I don't have feelings for him. I am having fun and I am spending a Sunday afternoon out in town. What is it I don't know about Marcel - what are you not telling me?'

But did she? No. She had lashed out. And then he had lashed out. And then Peter had gotten hurt. Because of her.

'I'm so stupid. I should know better when it comes to Klaus. How is it that I have grown so trusting towards him, not expecting him to hurt me while he is around me? When that is all he does, all he knows, hurting, destroying. Just because I assume he will not hurt me physically doesn't mean he can't hurt me in other ways, and that's what he always does! He hurts the people around me.'

It was a night of tossing and turning again and she had a feeling that was her New Orleans thing now; Sunday nights is for worrying.

One thing she was pretty confident about was that she would not see Marcel again. She hadn't been sure what do anyway. After Klaus had left and Caroline had gotten ready for bed, she had noticed a text message from him, thanking for the great day and reminding her to come see him at Abattoir.

As nice as the day had been she thought it was a bit over-eager of him to text straightaway. So even if she had been interested she'd not reply the same day. With the whole Klaus dimension added to it, it seemed like a good idea not to reply at all.

'Maybe I can make up a story to tell Sandy about my ex and how much I miss him - that should work out for me - if she tells Thierry. I am sure Thierry would tell Marcel...'

She didn't want to lie about it; after all, it had been one day - one date. She didn't owe Klaus an explanation as to how she spent her weekends. But ignorance is no excuse in law. She knew Klaus. She knew he would annoy her until he got what he wanted. And she really didn't want to get in the middle of a fight between those two vampires.

Even thought it went against all her principles to let Klaus win - he had won that round.

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The vampires in this town clearly had other plans for Caroline.

With a night of hardly any sleep, Caroline arrived late at work. She had just grabbed a coffee from a shop at the French Market around the corner and stumbled to her desk, when she realized that she had completely forgotten about a meeting she was supposed to be at.

'This is nothing like me. I don't forget about meetings, I haven't forgotten about a meeting in my entire life. Klaus is really messing with my head now', Caroline thought shocked.

She straightened her clothes and went to go see Clare and the meeting attendants in the meeting room on the second floor.

Immediately after starting the internship, Clare had turned over the responsibility for handling the local business owners, city departments and the Mayor, to Caroline. She had met twice with them since then, the last time followed by a lengthy one-on-one with the appointed spokesperson, a nice fellow named James. He was the owner of a department store chain in New Orleans and very much invested in the whole Mardi Gras organization.

Expecting the meeting to be with Clare, James and the Mayor's office, it was safe to say that Caroline was utterly stunned to see Marcel sitting at the meeting table.

'What?'

"I'm so sorry I am late! What did I miss...?" Caroline looked expectantly at Marcel, who was just grinning at her widely until the Mayor chimed in.

"Miss Forbes, it is so good to see you again. And I am glad I caught you - I have to leave in a few minutes to go to another meeting but I wanted to explain the personnel changes myself. You see, unfortunately, James called me last night asking me to find a replacement for him. Apparently, he had to leave town on business. As much as this is a loss for our work, I am thrilled that I could convince Marcel here to take on the role. Marcel is a well-respected business owner in our community, calling a considerable number of establishments his own. And although he is always very busy, he has agreed to help us out. As I said, I will have to leave you now but I hope you can get Marcel up to speed; I am sure he will be contributing immensely to our event."

With that, the Mayor smiled widely, got up from his chair and after shaking their hands, he was already gone. Caroline was still stunned.

"Caroline, why don't you sit down and we can discuss with Marcel what the next steps should be?" Clare asked. She looked curious, clearly, she had caught up on Marcel and Caroline knowing each other.

Caroline smiled and sat down at the meeting table. Pulling out her notes, she listened to Clare explaining the outlines of what had to be done in the committee.

Marcel nodded here and then, asked a question once and a while and seemed all serious and business-like.

Caroline didn't buy it though. 'What is he doing here? James is out of town? Why? This can't be a coincidence. '

From time to time, she could see Marcel glancing at her curiously. Did he notice that something was off, that she was wondering why he was there?

After about an hour, Clare apparently thought it's time to give them a minute. She got up from her seat and, putting a quick phone call as an excuse, left the two vampires alone for a few minutes.

She had only left the room when Marcel spoke up.

"I can sense that you are not as happy to see me as I am to see you. Is something wrong, Caroline?"

"Why are you here?"

"I thought the Mayor explained that rather nicely?" Marcel raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you really here? I am not stupid Marcel, this cannot be a coincidence. I find it odd that we meet on Saturday, in a restaurant, spend Sunday afternoon together, and come Monday, we are suddenly working together?"

"Ah. I get what you mean. Let me explain, please. For the first part, I am not responsible, you must believe me. The Mayor did call me last night, and he did ask me if I know of any replacement for James. The second part, I freely admit, is all me: I am rather busy and I usually do not get involved in these Committees. But I knew you are working on the Mardi Gras, so when the Mayor mentioned it, I couldn't resist. I wanted to see you again, Caroline. Is this so hard to believe?"

"Well, I... I just think it's odd. I don't know why it bothers me so much, I am sorry. It's just that I usually do not believe in coincidences."

"I know I have no right to ask you for this but you have to trust me - I am telling the truth. And I promise you, here and now, that I will show you that you can trust me."

"It's not the question of me trusting you, Marcel. I do not know you. I just met you. Meeting you on Saturday was refreshing, and spending the Sunday was very nice and I enjoyed it, really. But you being here, this is going too fast."

"You are right, we just met. And I apologize if I come on too strong. That was not my intention. And I certainly don't want to scare you off. But is there really harm in us working together on making the Mardi Gras as great as you want it to be? "

"No. Of course not. Working together is fine, it's just that...I wanted to have said it, me not knowing you and this going too fast."

Marcel smiled. "I understand. Really. Can we agree on working on this tomorrow? You and me? "

"Sure," Caroline agreed. "Wait - what is wrong about today? The meeting was scheduled to last all morning."

"Considering that I just got pulled into this last night, I already got other business to attend to. I was hoping we could do this tomorrow? I meet you here at 9?"

"Oh. okay. No that's okay!" Caroline said. It actually disarmed her a little bit, that he apparently did not leave everything to spend the day with her. Maybe she had misjudged the situation.

'The Klaus situation last night has just rattled me and I am seeing ghosts now, it seems', she sighed.

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The rest of her day went by without any incidents, and Caroline was grateful for it. She caught up with work, went for lunch with her colleagues and finally had that hot bath in the evening, followed by watching her favorite TV series on her laptop in bed.

She had met Sandy in the reception who was working Mondays and it had been good to spend an hour of mindless gossiping about TV, clothes and the latest news. Sandy was still waiting for a message from Thierry since Saturday and Caroline could tell that she was worried he'd not call. She was wondering about it herself: Thierry had seemed very into Sandy; why was he behaving hot and cold?

Klaus didn't contact her. She had not really expected it but since he was on her mind, she was still wondering if their meeting on Sunday night had gone the way _he_ had wanted it. She had been worried in the morning how Klaus would take the news on Marcel and her working together but since she was not planning on 'dating' Marcel; he would not make a problem out of it, would he?

Tuesday was the first day, since Caroline arrived, that the sun was not shining in the morning. She was uber-punctual that morning, to make up for the previous day, and had already checked and answered all her emails by 9am.

When she went downstairs to the foyer to meet Marcel, she was surprised to see him standing next to a car, waiting for her.

"Hi, good morning. Are you not staying for our meeting, or why do you stand next to your car as if you'd be on the run?" Caroline asked.

"I am all set for the meeting - but I have been thinking about our conversation yesterday. And for work-purposes only," he smiled, "I intend to suggest an alternate meeting location."

"What, why?"

"You said you don't know me and therefore, you do not know if or how to trust me. So, let me show you who I am." Seeing the doubting look on her face, Marcel quickly continued.

"Look, Caroline - text your friend, your boss, Klaus, for all I care. Tell them you are spending the day with me, at Oak Valley, for a business meeting. I am not trying to kidnap you; I am trying to build trust here, so we can truly work together. I am not having any ulterior motive here, this is a simple car ride to another place, where there will be lots of people, and we will be able to work, and come this evening, you are safely back in your room."

Caroline was undecided. Was she worried because she didn't trust him? Or was she worried because of what Klaus might say about it? But it was work, was it?

"For work? This is for work, correct?"

"Yes. I promise. Look on the backseat, I have my Mardi Gras folder with me, and when we return tonight, you will have a plan worked out, together with me, about how we organize the different routes of the parades. Oh. And have I mentioned that I have run this by your boss Clare, to make sure she approves of you not being in the office today?"

"Okay. Let me grab my bag."

Caroline turned around and went back upstairs to her desk to grab her things. On her way out, she did stop at Clare's though to tell her she was going to Oak Valley.

'Gosh, he better not know that I have actually checked in with Clare. He will think I am completely paranoid. Am I paranoid?' She thought embarrassed.

The trip Marcel had planned was to a plantation outside of New Orleans. They left town towards Baton Rouge and following the local highway, and reached Oak Valley Plantation within less than an hour. The car drive was not too comfortable, Caroline thought. She didn't know what to say and Marcel made no effort for a conversation, surprisingly. They had both listened to the radio and from time to time he had pointed out an attraction or a tourist sight on their way.

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Oak Valley was a well known and popular tourist attraction and it was already quite busy when they arrived. Nowadays, it was used as a visitor attraction, hotel and restaurant. They also put on changing exhibitions on the Civil War, slavery and the history of the South.

The house itself was beautiful, absolutely stunning. And so huge, even bigger than the Lockwood Mansion, and Caroline had always thought that one to be the grandest she'd ever see.

Marcel guided her inside and let her walk around for a few minutes while he found one of the house keepers. It turned out, he kept word - he had reserved one of the booths in the cafe/restaurant area for them to work.

It was a pleasure to work with Marcel and Caroline grew more comfortable. He knew the city well, and he certainly knew business. He had clear ideas and suggestions on how to organize the parades and the morning quickly passed.

Marcel had noticed that Caroline relaxed and after a late lunch break with a few sandwiches, he asked her if she'd like to see the rest of the plantation before he would drive her back.

Caroline easily agreed - she had wanted to visit a plantation while being in Louisiana and she had enjoyed the morning with Marcel - as friends/business partners.

The grounds of the Oak Valley were just as impressive as the house itself. There was a huge and well-kept garden, the wonderful alley leading up to the main house (where the word Oak came from, no question) and of course the former slave quarters, which now doubled as museum.

Marcel gave her a tour, explaining her the purpose of the different buildings and how life had been back in the day. Caroline had forgotten that Marcel had actually _experienced_ life on a plantation - it was fascinating to hear these historic details from someone who had been there.

Outside of the slave quarters, they sat on a bench and admired the view on the mansion for a while.

"I have forgotten that this is not just a nice building for you. You have actually lived on a plantation. Was it similar to this one?" Caroline asked after a while.

"It was, very much. I was born and I grew up in a slave quarter just like these here, I think they looked the same everywhere, really. You must understand though, that these have been refurbished to be 'safe' for tourists. They did look much unhealthier back in my days. I would have loved to take you to the plantation where I grew up at; to really show you. But, as it turns out, it's Klaus' home now, probably one of his little private jokes."

Marcel paused, thinking back about his life. Caroline didn't want to disturb him; he seemed to be deep in thoughts.

"You see, Caroline, I don't know if anyone, I mean, Rebekah, or Klaus, have told you anything about my life back then. My mother was a slave, and I grew up with her, but my father...he was not. He owned the plantation, and he knew that I was his, and... he didn't let me forget that I was at his mercy, that I was not like his son, my half-brother, but instead, I was a slave. A Slave's son.

I was a very angry child when I met the Mikaelsons, I was suffering at the hands of the guards, and I was struggling with my fate.

Klaus saved me. He really saved me. I was human, a human boy, and up to this day, many years later, I don't know why he did it. I was so grateful to him; I owed him a life that I didn't have until then. He took me in, I learnt to fight, I learnt to read, I loved the first time, and I suffered my first heartbreak, I experienced life. And then he turned me, and I found out the true meaning of life. Being, that life is very short and fragile and it's just a fraction of the possibilities that are out there. Turning me into a vampire - I regard this as the greatest gift he gave me."

Marcel smiled a tiny smile, looking at Caroline quickly to see if she was still listening. Caroline was fascinated. She did not know any of this.

"But every high is followed by a fall, no? So, the fall to this was when Klaus left me behind. Leaving New Orleans, his home back then, for his father to do with whatever he wanted. Leaving his 'child', as I did refer to myself back then, to a fate as his fathers' hands. And this is the worst he has ever done to me. I lost my faith all over again. I was betrayed, all over again. "

Marcel looked at her, with a serious expression on his face. "You wanted to know who I am, Caroline. That's who I am. A slave boy who has never been truly loved, who has given his love away freely, only to be disappointed. I haven't changed since then. I am still giving my love away freely. The question, I guess, I am asking, is will I be disappointed again?"

"Thanks." Caroline said, quietly.

"Thanks?" Marcel looked confused.

"Thanks for sharing this with me. I mean it; I am not trying to make fun of you. But... Marcel, I still mean what I said yesterday. I do understand you better now, that is true, I feel as if I'd _know_ you better", Caroline smiled at him honestly, before continuing. "But I just moved to New Orleans for an internship, I just got out of a serious relationship, I was not looking for a relationship. Look, when I was still human, I was what you probably would call 'easy'. A guy showing interest in me, and I was happy and all over it. I have changed. I am flattered, and I enjoy spending time with you, and I am grateful for you telling me this, for letting me in, but I am not moving this fast. Not anymore."

Marcel nodded with a small sad smile around his lips.

"So, this is not about Klaus?"

It was Caroline's turn to look confused. "Why Klaus?"

"Did he not come to see you, on Sunday, I mean? Because he did pay _me_ a visit. Threatening to rip out my heart if I am not staying away from you. Considering how cold you were towards me yesterday, and that you never replied to my message, I thought you may have gotten that same visit." Marcel smirked bitterly.

"What? He... threatened you? I am sorry, I really am. I didn't know, I didn't think he would. Why would he?"

"Look, Caroline, I didn't tell you this to make you feel bad. I am not scared of Klaus and I want you to know that I am not scared of Klaus. If _he is_ what stops you – then please know that he shouldn't stop you."

And with that, Marcel leaned in and kissed her.

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The kiss was... short, is probably the most honest word for it. Short, since Caroline was a) too shocked to respond and b) kind of offended.

'Why is everyone assuming I am a pushover, whose actions are always determined by someone else? If I say I do not move fast and I want to be friends - how is this not clear?'

She didn't say anything of this, though. Marcel realized quickly that she did not respond and he apologized.

"I... I am sorry, Caroline. Sorry, I didn't want to intimidate you or anything."

"No, Marcel, I am sorry. Sorry if I have sent mixed signals. _I like you_, I really do. You are fun, I enjoy spending time with you, and I am very grateful to you for bringing me here today, and for Sunday, and for telling me more about you, for trusting me. But I meant what I said, I am not easy, I am looking for friends at the moment, and not new complications."

"I didn't want to be a complication..."

Caroline interrupted him. "Wait, and there is one more thing: I am really sorry about Klaus coming to see you. I didn't expect him to...I don't know, _care_ so much? I don't know."

Marcel smiled at her. "It's alright Caroline; again, I didn't want to put you in any difficult position. I can handle Klaus, please - do not worry.

He exhaled deeply. "Right, after this slightly embarrassing episode for me - shall we head back?"

"Yes. Let's do that."

Despite what had happened, the drive home was more comfortable than their drive in the morning. Something about clearing the air, maybe. They both joked about Mardi Gras floats, and played with a few radio stations. Shortly before reaching New Orleans, Marcel asked if she would like to grab dinner somewhere.

"As friends, Caroline. I did listen to you earlier, you know", he smiled.

"Sure. I could use some food. Something warm, and comfy. I haven't tried any Gumbo yet; actually, maybe this is a good finale for the tourist trip we have been making?"

"Gumbo? I know just the place."

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Caroline laughed when they reached Rousseau's, the restaurant where she had her first lunch with Clare. After Marcel's enquiring look, she told him that she had been there before, wanting to come back at one point.

"If you want Gumbo, this is the place, trust me. I know Sophie, the owner and chef, quite well. And she makes the best gumbo in the French Quarter, everyone knows this."

They entered the bar and Caroline would have given anything to be able to turn around and make it un-happen. Sitting, at the bar, with his back to the door, was Klaus.

"Oh. Well, I guess the polite thing to do is say hello", Marcel said and looked at Caroline. Without waiting for a reply, he walked towards Klaus, stopping next to the Original. Caroline, hesitating for a second, didn't know what else to do and followed him.

"Klaus! Fancy seeing you here. Is Cami proving irresistible again?" Marcel greeted his old friend.

Klaus, turning only a fraction towards them, immediately saw Caroline. His face remained expressionless but Caroline, knowing what to look out for, saw his eyes narrow infinitesimally.

"Marcel. Caroline" he said politely. "What brings you here?"

"Sophie's gumbo, what else," Marcel laughed. "Caroline had not tried any gumbo yet and what better place is there to try it."

Camille, the waitress, chimed in from the other side of the bar. "If you are looking for the real deal, then I agree. Hi, by the way" she smiled at Caroline.

"Hi! I remember you; you have been waitressing on my first day in New Orleans."

"I hope you had a great first day then, apparently it didn't discourage you too much. Shall I bring two plates?"

"Cami, dear, that would be great. But to my usual table, please," Marcel replied. "I hope Klaus won't mind if we sit at my table and not the bar? I need to impress my date, after all" Marcel laughed jovially.

Klaus smiled. But Caroline saw the seething below the surface.

She let Marcel take her arm and guide her to the corner on the opposite wall, where 'his table' was. They sat down and Marcel handed her a drink menu. Caroline, sitting with the back to the bar, leaned across the table as far as she could to get as close to Marcel's ear as possible and whispered to him,

"Date? Date?" She was angry. "What are you, suicidal? And did you not listen to anything I just said?"

"I am sorry. I remember perfectly what you said. But - look, this is a thing between Klaus and me. He threatened me. _In my club_. I had to make sure that he knows that I am not scared of him," Marcel whispered back, too low for the Original at the bar to hear. "I promise, I will behave as an absolute gentleman for the rest of the evening and I will not forget anything you told me."

"We should have left. I mean, how do you plan on talking, in here? We can hardly whisper all the time."

"Why not?" Marcel smirked.

Caroline glared at him in response.

"I know, I know, I was just joking. You deserve to try this gumbo. And, oh, there it is already. We will have gumbo, enjoy a glass of wine, and then I will walk you home. All good."

Caroline felt uncomfortable but with her back to Klaus, she couldn't see how he reacted to them. They ordered quickly a drink and Caroline dug in. They hardly talked; Caroline simply didn't know what to say. She was angry at Marcel for 'using' her like this to prove his point, but then again, she had been long enough with Tyler to know how guys got when they had 'competition' around.

She was saved by the bell, so to speak. They had just finished their gumbo when Marcel received a text message.

"Damn. I have to leave. I wish I could stay longer with you here but work requires my presence, it seems. Shall I walk you home?"

"It's fine, thanks, Marcel. I am sure I will find the way"

They both got up and walked towards the door. Klaus was still sitting at the bar, with the back to them and the door.

"Even if I am not there with you, walking home, you can be sure that nothing will happen to you. This is my town - you are completely safe." Marcel grinned.

Bidding him goodbye and avoiding the kiss on the cheek by turning around rather quickly, Caroline turned towards the guesthouse. The events of the day swirled in her head and she really wanted some alone time to sort through them.

But what you want and what you get is not always the same. And she was really not surprised to feel herself being pinned to the wall of a house just down the street of Rousseau's, by an angry looking original hybrid.

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"Did you have a good _date_?"

"Urgh. I _knew_ you would not let this go. Look, Klaus, it was not a date." Caroline was annoyed. Really, again? Again, they would have this conversation?

"For not being on a date you two seemed well acquainted. Are you not listening by default, or are you just not listening to me?"

"If you must know, Marcel and I work together. And don't start again - you do not have the right to tell me anything. And while we are on it, how do you dare threaten Marcel about seeing me? Seriously, after what happened on Sunday? Did I not make it clear to you that this is none of your business?

"For him not being your date you sure as hell care a lot," Klaus barked. "Don't think I am stupid, Caroline, I have seen you whispering to him all evening!"

"God! You are unbelievable! Seriously? I haven't done anything! And even if, it is none of your business. I can't believe I keep defending you! Marcel has only been honest to be, he trusted me enough to tell me his life story."

"Oh please, get over yourself, love - he only did this to get to me!"

"What, so kissing me when you are nowhere near is meant for you? Seriously? Can you get over yourself already?"

Caroline was seething but the second she had said it, she regretted it.

Klaus had stopped pinning her to the wall; he was standing in front of her, arms down by his side. His face was expressionless but she thought she could see hurt in his eyes.

Without a word, Klaus turned around and left. Before Caroline could call out and say something, anything, he stopped and turned around again to her, pure anger on in his face.

"I warned you, Caroline. Don't say I didn't warn you. You know," he laughed bitterly. "You keep talking about me not behaving like a _friend_, for not giving you enough proof of us being_ friends_. But friendship goes both ways. And trust goes both ways. I have warned you, I have told you about his intentions but you decided not to trust me anyway. You rather trust some random vampire you met a week ago - than me." He paused for a second, hurt now clearly on his face. "If this is what you want, Caroline - then I will leave you alone."

With that, Klaus had turned again and he disappeared with vampire speed. Caroline remained leaning against the wall, as if still pinned by his arm, not really knowing yet what had just happened. She felt... as if she'd be mourning really. As if she'd just lost something.

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_**Thoughts? Comments? Review would be fabulous. The story is fully planned out till chapter 22, I only need to find the time to write it all. **_

_**Stefan will join the story soon, and we'll have two love stories to follow, yay!**_

_**thank you thank you thank you for reading!**_


	12. Aftermath

_**Short and a bit of a filler, I wanted to 'clear the air' and set the mood for the next action-packed chapters!**_

_**Let me know what you think?**_

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_**Aftermath**_

_**Klaus**_

After leaving Caroline, Klaus walked through the French Quarter before sitting down on a lonely bench. It may have been the same spot where Elijah had convinced him to stay in New Orleans and to fight for his town. Had this really been only a few months ago?

Klaus was not even angry. He felt numb. He had saved her life, several times. He had saved her friends' life, several times - for her sake only. He had given her what she had wanted most - her annoying little puppy back. He had told her that he fancied her, he had left nothing to imagination - it had been clear to anyone that he had felt something for her. He had warned her, he had fought to keep her safe.

But that all was not what bothered him, what made him numb inside.

The others had been right. He had been wrong.

Everyone had laughed at him and told him that she did not care for him. Tyler, his brother Elijah, Rebekah, Damon, and even Stefan had implied had so much. He didn't know why but he had always held the belief that she would come around, that she just hadn't realized yet that there was something between them. He could not have imagined this all by himself.

But he had been wrong.

With Tyler, he had been jealous, sure, but it had been different. They had been equals, in age, in life, in experience. Tyler had been with her when they both had discovered the supernatural world. They have had their friends and life in common, it had been easy for her to mistake the comfort for love.

Marcel. Now, Marcel was a different story. Marcel had nothing in common with her. Marcel, she had just met. He was a vampire, an old(ish) one, he had done his share of horrible things. He ruled this city with a strong hand and he had a considerable number of enemies for it. _Marcel_ was not better than him.

But given the choice she had chosen Marcel.

After a thousand years, he had to admit defeat. For the first time, he had lost a fight.

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_**Caroline**_

For hours that night, Caroline had thought about calling him. She wanted to apologize but the problem was; she didn't know what exactly to apologize for.

She only ever had felt like this once before, when Tyler and his pack of hybrids had wanted to desiccate Klaus. She had known about it and she had met him knowing about it, and she had not said anything. She had regretted it. But back then, she have had a reason; she had known his life was in danger and although he had saved hers only months before, she had not told him - because of Tyler, because of her friends. Because of what he had done to others.

But tonight?

_What would she tell him, if she was to call him?_

_Sorry for telling you that Marcel kissed me?_

That sounded just ridiculous, especially since she knew that the kiss had no meaning, that she not even had kissed back, that she did not fancy Marcel. She did not initiate the kiss nor did she return it - so what would she be apologizing for?

_Sorry for telling you that Marcel kissed me, for trying to make you believe I cared about it?_

Why did she have this strong urge to set things right with Klaus, to see him? Why did thinking about the hurt in his eyes make her feel so sick to the core?

How did this ever get so complicated, how did this all turn into a story of deceit and mistrust?

_Sorry for not trusting you?_

How did she become the 'bad guy'?

Klaus was right. He had hit home, straight on. Everything Marcel had told her so far, she had not questioned it. She had never asked Klaus if it was true. Did he turn Marcel? Did he rescue him from a slave life? Did he leave him behind?

Why would you rescue someone, raise them and spend years on making them your equal to then turn around and leave them alone, leave them behind?

It didn't add up.

Klaus had always wanted to protect her, she believed him that and she knew that. He would have happily sacrificed all her friends and all her family if this would have meant to keep her safe.

But in this case, it was only Marcel and herself in the mix. So, if Klaus was warning her to keep her safe, then this would mean that Marcel was the collateral damage, that he would happily sacrifice him. But did this make Marcel the bad guy?

_Sorry for not listening to you?_

This was all confusing. No matter if right or wrong, she knew she had to show Klaus that she was sorry.

How to do this without starting a new drama though?

And what was Marcel's role in all this again?

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_**What do you think?**_

_**Back to the action in the next chapter!**_


	13. The Elijah Way

_**Apologies for taking my time with this update; I hope it is worth it. **_

_**Many heartfelt thanks to all the reviewers, followers and the new favorites - I am deeply honored and it's just an amazing feeling to post a chapter knowing that there are folks out there wanting to read it!**_

_**Thanks so much for your support, special shout out to **__**keepingklarolinereal (love your user name!), xxxLeanniexxx, laurenroxbrough, SwanQueen4055, Angel, Teamvampirebarbie22 (yay, team vampire barbie!), GroenOogMeisie, helimoen (thanks for the detailed review!), Hazel21 and of course all guests!**_

_**Special note - It's rather late where I am right now and I apologize deeply for any typos! I just really wanted to get it out as quickly as possible. Next update defo sometime this week!**_

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The Elijah Way

Caroline only recovered slowly from Wednesday's events. If she hadn't known that Clare had organized a workshop for Caroline to attend, she would have called in sick. Just to avoid seeing Marcel and having to deal with the situation.

Apart from feeling guilty she now also felt ashamed. Ashamed for being weak, for not facing the mess head on as it would be her usual way. But the whole situation still proved to be confusing. She knew that 1000 years had made Klaus a tad paranoid and there was a good chance that he just overreacted because of his feelings for her. And could you imagine anything more embarrassing than screaming terror when in the end it turns out Marcel only found her cute and he had really gotten the "let's be friends " speech?

But what if Klaus was right, what if Marcel was a mastermind of evil and she, Caroline, AGAIN was destined to be the one tortured and led into a trap. It wouldn't be the first time for her to be the kidnapping victim/sacrifice/bait (delete as required).

Those two days of workshop were a gift. She paid attention to the classes - on budgeting and account-keeping skills, no less - but she also thought long and hard about the situation she had gotten herself in.

And come Friday, she had made up her mind.

It was time to confront Marcel - and to get real answers. Was there anything he did not tell her? She would not be the victim again.

Caroline had the suspicion that Marcel would try to avoid telling her some truths; to spill about his relationship to Klaus and how Caroline really fit in there.

'I must surprise him, not give him the advantage of preparing for the conversation,' she mused.

In order to get the help of Sandy, Caroline had decided to tell her about the plan; well partly at least. Sandy knew that Marcel had taken Caroline to the plantation and that he had kissed her but Caroline also told her friend that she was worried if Marcel meant what he said, if he was maybe just toying with her. She left out Klaus since it would have made it so much harder to explain but Sandy was enthusiastic about helping out anyway. The plan suited her well; Thierry had texted her but nothing else - and from what Caroline understood in many cases it had been Sandy who had texted _first_. He still seemed hot and cold - and Sandy wanted to judge his reaction when she turned up unexpectedly to see him.

The plan they had come up with was a girls' night out - Sandy called their pub-gang and the girls agreed to hit Abattoir on Friday night. Sandy knew Thierry had to work and since Thierry worked with Marcel... Caroline just hoped he would be there - and she desperately hoped that Klaus would _not_.

She had not spoken to Klaus since the evening at Rousseau's. Once Caroline's mind was made up she was keen on doing this _her_ way - finding out what the deal was with Marcel and then either ignoring Klaus (if he'd been wrong) or apologizing.

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To Caroline's surprise, Rebekah joined the girls for the night at Abattoir. She completely ignored Caroline and at one point Sandy even asked her if anything had happened between them but still, she joined the girls on their night out to a known Vampire's club. Caroline was not sure if she was happy or worried about it; was Rebekah spying? Or was she trying to interfere?

The friends arrived at the club later than the week before, it was already past midnight and the place was packed. People were dancing, laughing, making out and getting drunk everywhere. The girls moved upstairs again and ordered a round of drinks at the bar. The twins immediately left for the dance floor and Rebekah joined them without so much as a glance at Caroline. Sandy, Marie and Caroline stayed close to the bar and looked around the club to see if they recognized anyone.

Caroline soon was disappointed; there was no Marcel to be seen anywhere. But surprisingly enough, Thierry wasn't anywhere to be seen either. Sandy was pissed.

"I can't believe this! What a jerk. He said he couldn't meet me tonight because he'd be working at Abattoir - and now he's nowhere to be seen? I bet he is seeing someone else. He asked me twice what we are doing and because I wanted to surprise him I didn't reply... What if he only asked to make sure he's not running into me while out on a date with someone else? What did I do wrong?"

Marie looked concerned for her friend and dragged Sandy to the dance floor to get Thierry off her mind. Caroline, agreeing to return the glasses, turned towards the bar. In the back of the balcony she suddenly saw a movement and her vampire senses tuned in.

It had only been a curtain.

Curtain. Like in the restaurant. The door curtain to the "members only" section.

'It makes sense, it's his club. Maybe Marcel is hanging out somewhere in the back, working on the books or whatever else a club owner is doing', Caroline thought to herself. Quickly she returned the glasses and moved through the crowd to the back of the room. Drawing closer, she wondered how she had ever missed those curtains - the door was not even particularly hidden. It had a large 'staff only' sign on it and in front of the door was one of those dark heavy door curtains, often used in the winter to shield customers in restaurants from the cold.

'Probably for the noise,' Caroline realized.

She opened the door hesitatingly. Was she allowed to go back there? She was no staff but she knew Marcel. And from how he usually treated her he'd be happy to see her - at least until she had asked what she came for.

Behind the doors was a dark staircase leading up one floor. Caroline could hear the music from the dance floor but surprisingly the curtains must have been more efficient than they looked; the noise was dimmed and only the bass was drumming on. Caroline quickly moved up the stairs and with guilt she realized that she tried to move without sound.

'Like an intruder. Maybe I should say something'. The stairs ended in a hallway with several doors leading from it. A few of them were open and Caroline could see a room with a desk and lots of folders and books stacked in a shelf at the wall, and a small kitchen where she could smell coffee coming from. Looking around and wondering where she should turn first, she heard a familiar voice coming from the room ahead. Moving towards it, she recognized it as Thierry who had just said something she had missed.

"Great, good work. Take Diego, Jose and the boys and go get some flyers out then, there's a convention for Medical assistants this weekend in downtown and I really don't want Abattoir to miss out on that business", Marcel laughed.

"Sure thing, boss", Thierry replied.

Caroline moved closer but before making it halfway down the hallway the conversation continued.

"Before you go - where are the girls tonight?"

"Euh. I don't know actually."

"What do you mean, you don't know? Didn't I instruct you specifically to keep in touch with this Sandy girl and to make sure you know where she and Caroline go to in the evenings?"

_Wait, what? _

Caroline stopped in her tracks. 'Looks like we really need to have that chat, Marcel...', she thought to herself.

"Yeah I know. Sorry Marcel. I asked Sandy but she didn't reply again. I think she is growing impatient, I probably should see her again sometime this weekend."

"Then do it! Really, how old are you, Thierry? This is not the first time you are flirting, right? Seriously, sometimes I think there's no one with a brain around me. If you are even to incompetent to keep your fake girlfriend in check then at least give the boys in the bayou a call and see if they have found us a werewolf already. "

'Woah. Fake girlfriend? What is going on here? I need to hide - there's no way I am leaving before hearing the rest of what they are saying...' Caroline looked around . There was not much to hide - she was in the middle of the hallway leading from the stairs to the large room in front. If anyone was to come up the stairs or open the doors of the room she'd be standing like a deer in a car's headlights.

"I have spoken to them already this morning, they have moved in on a pack. They promised to have a wolf ready for you here in New Orleans by Sunday the latest." Thierry replied. It sounded defensive.

"At least something. Call them again and make sure they know I am not happy with the speed this is moving along. They promised me that venom already a week ago! Klaus seeing Caroline and me out in town made it more difficult, we must move faster. And since you are too incompetent to keep track of her it seems that I have to call her myself now ", Marcel had raised his voice and he sounded angry.

"I can call Sandy again, if you want. Or shall I invite her to Abattoir, and ask her to bring Caroline along?"

"Are you crazy? And risking that Klaus shows up later tonight to see if we are cooking up something? No, I need to meet Caroline _**by chance**_; it must seem natural. I must gain her trust and that faster than anticipated, otherwise, our plan will never work." Marcel was nearly shouting now. "Before you go, tell me how it went last night, with the tourist groups? Did you find some good prospects? You know we need recruits!"

Caroline was stunned. She stood in the dark hallway, completely motion-less. Her brain told her that it was not safe for her to stand there, especially after what she had just heard. But her feet did not belong to her. She was furious. hurt. sad.

There really was some kind of sick plan, involving - wait for this - her? AGAIN? Did she have 'Klaus-bait' written on her forehead? How had she gotten herself into this?

Emotions were swirling around in her head - what was she supposed to do? She really wanted to storm into this room and scream at Marcel, telling him what she thought of him and his schemes. Making sure he knew that she hadn't been stupid enough to fall for it anyway, and that she would have never fallen for him either. In the back of her head she knew she had to move, and not towards the room but rather back towards the club; she was not supposed to know this and who knew how many vampires were in that room ahead of her? What if they saw her?

'Yeah, what if? I heard that he wants to gain my trust but that is it... hardly a reason to hurt me', she wondered.

Before Caroline could make up her mind, the door ahead of her swung open and Thierry stood in the doorway, half-way facing towards the hallway while finishing his sentence.

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With Vampire speed, Caroline had made up her mind and spun around. She ran towards the staircase and was down within less than a second. But Thierry was a vampire as well and she knew she had made a noise - not to mention that her motion must have alerted him. She moved quickly, but at human speed, past the club goers towards the staircase leadings down from the balcony.

The girls were dancing on the dance floor and seemed to have lots of fun. Caroline didn't pay any attention, she shot right past them, grabbing her bag from Sandy's arm when passing her and running out of the club without so much as a goodbye.

As soon as she was outside of the club, Caroline moved again in vampire speed towards her guesthouse. A block or two away from the guesthouse she stopped, leaning against a house wall and listening to the sounds around her. There was nothing. She heard the usual noises coming from Bourbon Street and the rest of the French Quarter but there was nothing out of the ordinary. No shouting, no fast steps following her.

'Maybe Thierry did not see me, or maybe he did not recognize me' Caroline thought. 'I should text Sandy and apologize for leaving like this. Gosh, Sandy, I must tell her about Thierry...'

With delay, Caroline realized that she had started crying. For how long, she couldn't tell but silent tears ran down her face.

'I can't believe it. Why is it always me?'

Caroline moved her bag a bit up her shoulder and turned towards the guesthouse. She was able to make three steps before Diego, one of Marcel's minions, and 4 unknown men stood in a half circle in front of her.

"Caroline! So good to see you", Diego scoffed. "Am I imagining things or did you just leave Abattoir a minute ago? Really, that's quite rude, leaving without saying goodbye." He grinned at her. "Marcel really wanted to see you before leaving. Come back with us?"

'I can take down two, if I move fast. But 3 more?' Caroline speculated quickly.

"You must mistake me with someone else, Diego. Why should I have been at Abattoir without saying hello to Marcel? I was just on my way home. If you excuse me now..." Caroline made a hesitating step in front of her but the guys did not budge. She hadn't really expected it.

"Come on, Caroline. Don't make this more difficult than it is. Marcel made it quite clear that he wants to see you back at Abattoir now - one way, or the other..."

"I hate how rude men have become those past 100 years. There's been something like courtship in my times", a familiar voice said behind Caroline. Before she could even turn around, there was a quick swish and the five vampires were spread out on the floor. And five hearts lying around elsewhere on the floor.

Caroline stared speechless at Rebekah, standing with bloody hands where Diego had stood only a second ago.

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"Rebekak! How... Why...What...Did you just pull an Elijah on me?" Caroline stuttered.

Rebekah, throwing her blonde mane back over her shoulder, smiled at Caroline wickedly. " Oh please, Elijah totally stole that move from me."

She turned around herself slowly, looking at the mess to her feet. Spotting what she had been looking for, she flashed to the dead body to the right of Diego and r ripping his sweatshirt in two half's, used the shirt as towel.

"Now, to come back to the other...questions? I saw you leaving the club, if leaving is the right word for you fleeing the scene, and I thought I check in with you, that's all." Rebekah shrugged.

"You wanted to check in on me?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself there - I didn't do it for yourself. You were crying and I am a nosy person so I just thought I ...check it out".

Caroline was still shocked. Rebekah grew nervous by the sudden silence and moving towards Caroline, she grabbed her by the arm. "Anyway, I think it's time to move this conversation elsewhere. Considering that I have just saved you from five of Marcel's minions, I assume there's been a bit of a fallout between our two new lovebirds? I think I know someone who'd love to hear more about it..." With that, Rebekah **s**ped into the night, dragging Caroline after her.

After a few shocked seconds, Caroline caught up and ran beside Rebekah on her own. Rebekah stopped in a side street close to Loyola University next to a shiny red BMW.

"Yours?," Caroline smiled.

"Of course. I am the only one on my family with taste in cars, it seems. The others think I live somewhere near campus so I usually park around her" Rebekah explained, blushing slightly.

"Hop in."

"Ahm, Rebekah, that's really nice of you but where are we going? I really only wanted to go home and take a bath and..."

"...and wait for Marcel to turn up by himself?" Rebekah interrupted her impatiently. "If you haven't noticed yet, you seem to have pissed off Marcel. I don't know how but you did. And since he does kind of own the French Quarter there's a rather very good chance that he already knows where you live. It's a hotel so there's no problem for him getting in either." Rebekah sighed.

"Get in, come on. And believe me, Caroline, I will not ask again. Considering what has happened tonight, I know my brother - he will happily dagger me when he hears that I have left you alone after being attacked."

"Right. Klaus." Caroline looked worried. Klaus. What would he say?

Without another word, Caroline got into the car.

The car drive only lasted 15 minutes but it was uncomfortable. Caroline was worried about what Klaus would be saying, she felt uncomfortable with Rebekah next to her, and she was deeply confused about having to thank Rebekah for her life. And, oh wait, did she forget the shock about being attacked tonight?

Only when Rebekah slowed down, Caroline became aware of their surroundings. They had left New Orleans city behind them and just turned off a wide country road towards an alley lined by pine trees. Ahead of the car Caroline could make up the large building of a plantation.

"This is where you guys live, a plantation?" Caroline gasped.

"Marcel kind of occupied our old residence so Klaus thought it only fitting to acquire Marcel's childhood ...'home'", Rebekah explained.

She parked the car to the right of the building, and without waiting for Caroline, left the car and started walking towards the main doors. Caroline hurried after her.

The plantation main house was amazing. Caroline couldn't think of any better way to describe it, at least not in her current state of mind. Just behind the entrance door was a huge swung staircase leading up to the first floor. The main foyer was big as a ballroom and with exquisite furniture in white, with white and black tiles on the floor. Rebekah didn't pay attention to her surroundings, clearly used to the luxury, and gestured Caroline instead to follow her along the wide hallway. They entered the sitting room, Caroline assumed, a room at least double the size of the foyer. Everything was held in dark wooden colors and the majority part of the room was dominated by a massive sitting group of dark brown leather. Along the wall, Caroline saw a state-of-the -art entertainment center with flat-screen TV and had to smile. 1000-year old vampires, he?

Rebekah, still not saying anything, gestured Caroline to take a seat and left the room through one of the side doors. Caroline chose one of the large couches and sat down. It was even more comfy than it had looked. Throwing curious looks around the room, Caroline made herself more comfortable and, after removing her heels, drew her feet up on the couch.

"There are some blankets over there if you get cold. Here, want some?" Rebekah returned with a bottle of rose wine and two glasses in her hand.

"Sure, thanks" Caroline replied surprised.

Rebekah settled in a massive armchair across from Caroline, after turning on the stereo to some jazz radio station.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Euh. Yeah, I guess. I mean, I am still shocked and surprised and, I don't know, confused, but nothing happened to me ..."Caroline paused. "Thanks to you, that is. Thank you, Rebekah. Really, I mean it."

"Not a problem. I guess I owed you one for telling my brother about you being in town, anyway".

"Actually, you didn't tell him... Klaus knew already then, I ran into him when I was at Abattoir last weekend."

"Oh. Really?" Rebekah looked confused. "He didn't say. That's weird. Oh, what am I saying, it's not really weird actually, It's my brothers, they hardly tell me anything anyway." Rebekah sighed. "Do you want to watch some TV? Or are you tired?"

"No, I am not tired. I - well I - I am really grateful, Rebekah, but what am I doing here again?"

"Right. You don't know - Elijah and Klaus are out of town today, they are supposed to be back already but I guess they are running late. So I think it's best if we wait here, and then see what they say to this mess."

"Oh." Caroline didn't know what else to say.

"Let's watch some TV then, I think there's an all-night series marathon of 'Friends' on, I haven't seen all the episodes yet."

Wow, Rebekah the Original vampire a 'Friends' fan. 'Who would have thought,' Caroline smiled to herself.

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They had only watched two episodes when Caroline could her a car engine outside of the house. A minute later, Elijah and Klaus walked into the sitting room. Elijah had an amused look on his face, Klaus seemed surprised.

"Miss Forbes. Very good to meet you again. I didn't know there'd be a pajama party here tonight or we would have made sure not to disturb you," Elijah smiled. Klaus stared at Caroline without saying anything.

Caroline was nervous. What would he say to this? And what was he thinking, was he wondering how she had suddenly turned up at his place? Without invitation, no less?

"Brother, do you see pajamas anywhere?" Rebekah rolled her eyes and turned the volume of the TV off. Grabbing her glass of wine and taking a large sip, she focused her eyes on Klaus before continuing.

"Caroline and I have been out with the girls tonight, at Abattoir. And looks like our baby vampire here has managed to piss off Marcel, enough for him to send a few of his guys after her. Considering as they were rude and now rather heartless, I thought it's best to bring Caroline here..."

Caroline stared at Klaus to gauge his reaction but he didn't let anything show. He was looking at Rebekah with a stony face.

"Miss Forbes, is this true? Are you hurt?" When hearing Elijah's question, Klaus' eyes flashed to Caroline for a second.

Caroline turned bright red. "Ah no, thanks, Elijah. And please, call me Caroline. Miss Forbes only belongs on the Miss Mystic stage."

Elijah smiled at that.

"No, Rebekah is quite right, we were at the night club and ... well after I left, there were some guys coming after me and then Rebekah appeared and she killed them all and then we came here. Sorry for intruding."

Elijah looked concerned now, taking a seat in one of the armchairs to Caroline's left. Klaus moved to stand behind Caroline's couch but further to the left, as if to position himself between his brother and Caroline.

"Please...Caroline, you are not intruding. It is a pleasure to have you here, although I wish it would be for better circumstances. But to be quite honest, I am not sure if I understand what really happened tonight. Do you mind telling us the full story?"

Caroline looked at Klaus now. He tried to avoid her gaze but failed blatantly. After a second trying to keep his eyes fixed on Rebekah, he finally turned towards Caroline and looked at her. She could not read his expression.

"I think that's why Rebekah has ...insisted... on my coming here, "Caroline started, looking at Elijah again. She decided it was the easiest to tell the story to Elijah. Rebekah grinned widely at the mentioning of her name.

"I... Well, I went to Abattoir tonight to speak to Marcel and he was nowhere to be seen in the club so I decided to look in the back area for him..." While speaking, Caroline could see Klaus turn slightly away from her and this time, his face was easy to read. Anger.

Caroline faltered for a second. She turned to Klaus, speaking to him directly, with a hint of anger in her voice.

"And just to make sure you are not throwing one of your fits again - I wanted to speak to Marcel because of what you have said. I wasn't there for a _date_ or anything, as you like to accuse me of. I wanted to know what his deal was, if he had an hidden agenda."

Klaus looked at her, and to her surprise with a slightly amused look on his face. "And you thought that was a good idea, love? " He grinned. "You did not really expect him to tell you in your face that he was playing a game, were you?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow. Caroline's mentioning of tonight not being a date but a confrontation clearly seemed to have brightened his mood.

"Let's not get off topic here," Elijah said. He looked curiously between his brother and Caroline. "I must say I don't know what has happened on Wednesday between Niklaus and yourself, Miss Fo..., Caroline, but let's focus first on the events of tonight, shall we?"

"Right. What was I saying. Yes, I was looking in the back for Marcel and I heard him talking to Thierry, one of the guys working for him, and since Thierry is kind of dating my friend Sandy, I was listening to what he was saying and then he mentioned my name and... I may have eavesdropped, " Caroline blushed.

"What did they say?" Klaus asked. He had started leaning on the couch, looking intently at her.

"It was not that much, Marcel asked about Sandy and he said something about Thierry being only her fake boyfriend because Marcel wants him to keep an eye on where Sandy and I are going tonight because he wants to meet me...accidentally, and that he wants me to trust him. " Caroline trailed off. Saying it out loud, the whole story didn't seem worth sending 5 vampires after her, did it?

"Oh and he asked Thierry about a werewolf, something if the others have found a werewolf yet and that he needs that wolf in New Orleans for when he has my trust and before Klaus realizes something is going on... it all didn't really make sense, and then Thierry left the room and I had to quickly leave and I think he saw me leaving. I went back to the guesthouse but before I got home there were a couple of guys standing in my way. One of them, Diego, I recognized, he is usually hanging out with Thierry. And he said that Marcel wants to speak with me and I should come back with them to Abattoir... one way or the other. "

Caroline paused. "And then Rebekah showed up. End of the story, really."

Caroline had kept her gaze fixed on Elijah the entire time but now she threw a quick look at Klaus. Klaus had turned his back on them but the anger seemed palpable, coming in ripples off him.

"He will pay for this. I knew he was cooking something up. I will rip his heart out..." Klaus seethed.

Elijah frowned, looking deep in thoughts.

"Niklas, brother, please. Calm down. Nothing has happened tonight, Caroline is unharmed." Elijah smiled at her. "Is this right?"

Caroline nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, absolutely. Nothing really happened, it's quite stupid, I don't really know why I was so shaken up about it earlier. It's probably best if we just forget about it and I can go back to the guest house and not intrude on you..."

"You are not going anywhere, Caroline," Klaus barked.

Caroline looked taken aback. "Really, Klaus, there's no need..."

"Actually, Miss Forbes, Caroline, excuse me, this may take me a while to get used to it, Caroline, I think my brother is quite right here." Elijah paused. He looked quickly from Rebekah to his brother and then focused his eyes again on Caroline, an apologetic look on his face.

"You see, Caroline, I am not sure how much you know about what is currently going on in New Orleans, about our family's _situation_ here. But it looks as if you stumbled into something that has nothing to do with you but that may get you hurt nevertheless. You may have heard not enough to make sense to you but clearly, Marcel thinks you have heard too much already. And I fear he will not like the idea of you speaking to my brother or myself. It seems best if you would stay here for a night or two, only as a precaution."

"Oh. But. I can't just stay here. And anyway, I have a job, the internship, and Marcel is working with me there, so I will see him again anyway, and I have all my things in the guesthouse and Sandy will worry if I am not there tomorrow morning and - oh, damn, I forgot about Sandy! She doesn't know yet that Thierry is only faking it"

"I will take care of that. I will go see Sandy and make sure she's okay," Rebekah chimed in. With a swift motion she got up and started moving towards the door. Stopping halfway, she turned to Caroline again.

"Oh and, we got lots of guest rooms upstairs so you can just pick one. My brothers surely will show you everything but if you need any girls' stuff, like cosmetics, you can borrow them from my bathroom tonight."

Without waiting for a reply, Rebekah turned around again and stalked off.

Caroline looked after her, stunned, and with her mouth slightly open. Judging from Klaus's smirk, she must have looked flabbergasted. She quickly closed her mouth again and turned again to Elijah to continue. But the Original was quicker.

"Let's not worry about anything else for now. The best is if you stay here tonight, as Rebekah said, we have enough room for guests. You will be safe and can get some sleep and relax after tonight's events. Tomorrow, we will maybe already know more and we can talk about everything else. " Elijah paused, the frown reappearing on his face.

"For now, I just wish we'd knew what Marcel needs the werewolf for. He just recently did his best to rid the area of werewolves and he never showed any sympathy for them. Why he would need to find one now and what this has to do with you, I do not know."

"Niklaus, you are surprisingly quiet so far?" Elijah stated after another second of silence.

"You know exactly what my opinion is, brother. He will pay for this. I don't care what he needs a wolf for, I cannot be killed and his games just bore me so far. It is time to put him into his place. Going after Caroline tonight was unforgivable and he should know that this comes with consequences."

"Yes, Niklaus, I am aware of how you would prefer to solve this mystery. But I need your promise to hold out, just for a while. We need to first understand what the bigger picture is. We don't know what Marcel plans. And for now, Caroline is safe and we will all do our best to keep it like this", Elijah turned back to Caroline and smiled at her.

Caroline blushed again. All the attention embarrassed her, especially coming from the full Original family.

Getting up, Elijah clapped his hands together. "For now, Caroline, let's find you a room . Everything will look better tomorrow. Klaus, would you mind waiting here for me? There's something else I'd like to discuss with you...?"

Klaus had gotten up himself when Elijah had moved."Sure, Elijah. I will discuss _something else_ with you. But_** I**_ will show Caroline to her room."

Klaus smirked and turned towards the door.

"Coming, love?"

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_**Do you have an idea what Marcel's big plan is? **_

_**And now that Elijah is in the picture there is the million dollar question: do we want Elijah with Hayley?**_

_**Review? Comment?**_

_**Thank you so so so much for reading and for sticking with me for so many chapters already!**_


	14. Mimosas, three Originals and a baby

**Wow, 10 reviews for the last chapter alone! I am so grateful and don't know how else to express my thanks other than by hurrying with the updates! I'll message back to you personally this time - but thanks as well to the guests who I cannot pm.  
**

**This chapter was supposed to include Sunday but it just got too long, sorry. This pushes back the appearance of Stefan by a chapter but you know he will join us very soon!**

**Thanks for the comments and feedback on Hayley and Elijah. I contemplated this for quite long, if I want to include Hayley at all and all that. But since the characters belong to the writers and CW/WB, I thought I honor them by keeping most of their Originals Storyline real. I didn't like Hayley in TVD but by now, I kind of feel sorry for her. I will try to keep her honest and real - but Elijah does deserve a more epic love than the one-night stand of his brother! **

**Mimosas, three Originals and a Baby**

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Klaus led Caroline up the large, impressive staircase to the first floor. They didn't talk, he simply walked slightly ahead of her, turning the lights on as he went.

It was already close to 3am in the morning and after the first excitement of meeting Elijah and Klaus tonight had passed, Caroline felt the events of the evening make her tired. She was looking forward to a room of her own, where she could sort her thoughts and get some sleep.

When they reached the first level, Klaus paused for a second, pointing out the rooms of the others. "Elijah stays in the room at the end of the corridor here; Rebekah's rooms are here to the left. If you need anything from her necessities, her bathroom is right through that door. If you follow me upstairs...", Klaus turned and continued walking up to the final floor. Caroline assumed it may have been an attic back in the days but now it was converted into rooms. It was smaller up here, the short corridor, turning slightly to the left, revealed two doors to the left and two to the right. Klaus turned left and entered the first room. Caroline was surprised to find a spacious bedroom with a ready-made bed in front of her. Apparently, the Originals liked to be prepared for last-minute guests. The room was decorated in cream colors with hints of caramel and a soft yellow here and there. There were a couple of armchairs in front of a large window to her left, overlooking the Alley leading to the plantation, Caroline thought. On the right hand side was the large bed in the middle of the room, with a door to each of its side.

"The closet is to the right, the bathroom is behind the left door. You will find everything you need in there...we like to be prepared for guests," Klaus smirked. "There's a TV over there and there should be a small radio somewhere on the shelf here."

Klaus paused and looked at Caroline with an intensive stare. "Do you need anything else, Caroline? Will you be okay?"

"Yes, thank you," Caroline blushed. She felt intimated, standing in the Originals' house, alone in a room with Klaus. She didn't know where to put her hands, or if she should smile at him or rather not?

Klaus nodded, not looking convinced. He turned back to the open door, pointing to the doors on the opposite side. "Well if you do need anything, I am right on the other side of the hallway. Whatever it is, just let me know. Have a good night, Caroline".

Klaus had only made one step towards the door when Caroline had changed her mind.

"Klaus, wait..." She trailed off again, not knowing how to say what was on her mind. Klaus turned again, looking at her enquiringly, with his head slightly tilted to the side.

"Klaus... well I haven't said anything yet. I mean, we should probably talk about it. I mean, you probably think..." Caroline took a deep breath. "What I am trying to say is - Klaus, I am sorry."

Klaus' face was expressionless but not unkind. He looked at her intensively. "What are you sorry for, Love?"

"For everything, I guess. I am sorry for the fight we had, on Wednesday, and for not listening to your warning earlier, and for thinking you were just paranoid about Marcel, and, yeah, I guess you know what I mean."

Klaus had stepped closer to Caroline during her apology and she felt even more nervous now that he was mere inches away from her. She tried to hold his gaze but failed miserably. She looked towards the windows instead. Klaus raised his hand and brushing one of her hair strands to the side, carefully not touching her face, as if he would expect her to be scared of his hand. He bent down a little and said quietly, "There's nothing to be sorry for, Caroline. You don't know Marcel as I do, despite everything you have seen and lived through these past few years, you apparently still believe in the good in people." He smiled at her, a genuine, small smile. "That's one of the things I like about you, your belief in the good."

Noticing how uncomfortable and nervous Caroline was, he stepped away again, only one step.

"Let's not talk about it tonight, Caroline. You need to get some rest, it has been quite the eventful evening for you. You are safe here, I will not let anything happen to you. We can talk more tomorrow, and as Elijah said, we can then figure out what the next steps will be. Okay?"

Caroline smiled. She had blushed again, the concern with which Klaus regarded her always made her uncomfortable. But she was tired and she was looking forward to that comfy-looking bed.

"Okay. Thanks, Klaus. Have a good night."

"You, too, Caroline. And don't forget, I am just across the hallway if you need anything. I will see you tomorrow."

With that, Klaus had left and Caroline remained alone in the room. She took another look around and then opened the doors to the closet and the bathroom to investigate her quarters for the night. The bathroom had those small amenities tubes and bottles you usually find in hotel rooms and Caroline was relieved that there was no need for her to walk back to Rebekahs' room to get toothpaste and stuff.

For a minute she contemplated calling Stefan, telling him where she was for the night, it felt odd not having anyone known. But since this would require telling the full story, she decided to wait until the next day before she informed her friends. Elena would just freak out again, probably dragging Damon to New Orleans to see if Caroline needed any help. Bonnie would be scared for her and give her an hour-long lecture of how important it was for her to stay away from Klaus, and Stefan? Stefan would probably call Klaus and ask him to look after Caroline. No, for tonight, she needed to sort this out for herself. Caroline was confident that Elijah would come up with some sort of plan on Saturday and once she knew what would be happening, she would call her friends.

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Caroline had expected not to sleep very well, considering being in a foreign place, with the Original Hybrid just across the hallway, and after being threatened for her life - again, just a few hours earlier. But, to her surprise, she had slept like a baby, a deep and relaxing sleep. She awoke rather late, the sun was shining outside and Caroline felt fresh and ready to start a new day.

On her way to the bathroom to take a quick shower and freshen up she stopped in her tracks. Something was looking different from last night. She turned around and looked back to the door. There, next to it sat her suitcase and her travel bag, innocently as if they'd always been there. Stepping closer, Caroline also saw her laptop bag and her large handbag which she had been using on the flight to New Orleans.

Here entire New Orleans things were sitting in her room, next to the door.

'Huh', she thought. For a minute, she could not make up her mind if she should be angry or grateful. Apparently, one of the Originals - every bet on Klaus, of course - had been going to her guest room and brought back her things. On the one hand, that was amazing, since she had been wondering just a minute ago what she was supposed to wear, and having her own shampoo and hairdryer would make this Saturday so much better.

But -

'Who does he think he is? He cannot just go and take all my stuff, I agreed to stay for a night or two, I am not moving in here! And what shall I tell the people from the guesthouse and what will Sandy think? Really, what the...'

In the middle of her brewing rage, Caroline discovered a little note, sitting on top of her laptop bag.

'Mystery solved as to _which_ Original picked up my things.'

_Caroline,_

_I thought you may need a few of your things and bringing all seemed the most convenient. I hope it makes you feel more comfortable in my house. Elijah and I are out in the morning but we will talk more in the afternoon. I hope the events last night didn't hurt your opinion on New Orleans. _

_I had very much hoped you would call it your home one day._

_Klaus._

'Alright...too much to think about. This will require coffee.'

First things first, Caroline grabbed her most important things and a change of clothes from her bag and got ready for the day.

Before going downstairs to go look for coffee, Caroline stopped in the hallway listening for noises coming from Klaus' room but indeed, he seemed to be out. She assumed the kitchen would be on the ground floor and she made her way back to the main foyer. Once downstairs, Caroline could smell the faint scent of coffee and she followed her nose to the hallway leading to the left, away from the hallway. At the end of the hallway, a door was open and revealed a large kitchen with a massive wooden table and at least 8 chairs to the left of it. Walking inside, Caroline expected Rebekah to be the one brewing the coffee.

She did not expect to see Hayley.

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'HAYLEY? What? How? Why?' Caroline thought confused. The werewolf girl was sitting on the counter top next to the coffee machine, waiting for the liquid to drop through. She must have heard Caroline coming down the stairs already, since she was staring right at her.

"If this isn't little Caroline... I already heard you decided to hide behind Klaus' back after all," she smirked.

Caroline was still completely stunned.

"Hayley...what are you doing here?"

"What _am I_ doing here? _I am_ living here. You are the one dropping by in the middle of the night and making a commotion to wake anyone trying to sleep."

"You are living here? Why?"

"What, did Tyler not tell you?" Hayley jumped down from the counter top, now smiling broadly. "Wow, the epic love, with which nobody was able to compete, according to you. And then he didn't even tell you? He must not have cared enough, I guess.."

"Do. not. even. think. about . bringing. Tyler. up. You, of all people! You crossed him, you left him behind, you sacrificed the entire pack, and Tyler, for your personal gain! What happened with Tyler had nothing to do with you, absolutely nothing."

"Personal gain? Oh please, you guys in Mystic Falls. Always the others are the bad ones, if Klaus kills, then it is the most horrific crime one can do, if I want to protect myself and find out where I am coming from, then I am the traitor. But you? You, Caroline, killed 12 witches, I have heard. Innocent, as well. Elena and her brother have killed Kol, the brother who actually warned you about Silas? Elijah tried to protect Elena so many times before Klaus turned hybrid and she made a deal with his mother to have him killed? But of course, you are never the bad ones, it's always the others."

Hayley was enraged and Caroline had the impression the werewolf girl had wanted to say this for quite some time by now, the way it came out in a rush. Caroline also felt embarrassed; it's not like she had never thought the exact same things...

"Woah, slow down, Hayley. First of all, I need coffee and it looks like it is ready. THEN we can continue arguing. And for the record, I do not claim that I am innocent. I know that I have killed. And I am suffering for it, believe me."

Hayley turned without a word and moved to one of the kitchen cupboards to her left, returning with two coffee mugs in her hand. Caroline was surprised, she had expected the girl to continue in her rant. Hayley filled the two mugs with coffee, got the milk out of the fridge and gestured towards the table. Caroline followed Hayley, watching the werewolf behaving in the kitchen as if it was her own.

"Hang on... Hayley, you look kind of... ahm, are you.. Hayley are you pregnant?"

Caroline wasn't sure if that was a safe thing to ask, but the little belly showing under the long and wide shirt confirmed her suspicion.

Hayley turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously, Caroline, have you been living behind the moon? Do you not know anything? What are you doing here then, if you do not have any idea what is going on around here?" Sitting down at the table, she continued. "And yes, I am pregnant. Wasn't planned, _believe me."_

Caroline sat down on the other side. "Wow. well, ahm, congratulations?"

Hayley laughed. "Not really but thanks anyway."

"So you do not want your baby?"

"You haven't guessed yet who the father is, have you?"

Caroline was confused. Should she have guessed? Should it be someone she knew? But who, the only ones she knew in New Orleans were vampires, and in Mystic Falls, Hayley only ever had hung out with Tyler...

The veins underneath Caroline's eyes came out and her fangs dropped. With hardly hidden anger, she leaned in to Hayley. "Are you trying to tell me that Tyler was cheating on me, with _you_, _and_ got you pregnant as well? Because broken up or not, believe me Hayley, you do not want to tell me this right now..."

"It's Klaus' child", Rebekah chimed in from the doorway. Hayley rolled her eyes, clearly not happy that the blonde original had joined them in the kitchen. Rebekah got herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with the girls.

Caroline's vampire features had disappeared again and she sat there completely shocked. She looked at Rebekah, then again at Hayley, then at Rebekah. Not really understanding what had been just said.

Rebekah smiled widely at her. "Gosh, I love that reaction. It's a shame that Klaus has to miss it. So, quick recap and by the way, I am totally with Hayley on that point, how come you haven't heard this before? Tyler knew it, and isn't he keeping in touch with at least _a few_ of your friends? It's kind of big news... Anyway, Hayley here decided to hit on Klaus while drinking her way through his liquor cabinet, Klaus let his male idiocy win and took her to bed, and a few months later, we found out that, since he broke the Hybrid curse, the wolf side of him is able to... well, have kids. Got it?"

"Klaus? Klaus and Hayley? You slept with Klaus?" Caroline, still lost for words, looked at the wolf. "But, when? You never liked Klaus, you unsired his Hybrids and worked _against him_, how did you end up in bed with him?"

"You are one to speak, you never liked him - so you claim at least - and you conspired against him multiple times and yet here you are, sitting in _his_ kitchen playing besties with the Original sister! "

"That is not even remotely the same, or did you see me leaving his _bed_?"

Rebekah interrupted again, clearly enjoying the morning show with her coffee. "I find this point goes to Caroline, I checked last night and she did spend it in her own bed" She grinned at Caroline.

"What, you, what _you checked_? Rebekah, how can you..." Realizing that Rebekah had only been teasing her, Caroline's expression changed from frustrated to relieved. "Rebekah! This is not the time to make fun of me", she laughed.

Hayley looked interested from one vampire to the other. So, the two blondes had bonded, apparently. Interesting.

"As much fun as this is, I think I rather spend my morning in peace - if Elijah should be asking, I am at the pool." With that, Hayley got up and left the kitchen without another word.

"Why should Elijah ask, I thought you just told me it was Klaus?" Caroline looked confused again.

"Urgh, you know what, Caroline, I think you need much more than a quick recap, really. But since it's about Hayley and I really cannot stand that bitch, I will require something better than coffee for that story. Shall I fix us a few Mimosas and we check if my recorder taped the rest of the 'Friends' episodes?"

Caroline nodded, with a smile on her face. She watched Rebekah busying herself in the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of champagne, orange juice and ice to fix a jug. It was weird, really, to see the Original like this and Caroline did not understand what had brought it about. Yes, Rebekah always had been keen on enjoying the human life, but since when did she trust Caroline? And since when was she so nice to her?

"Rebekah... nothing against the Mimosas and I am totally up for the Friends session but can I ask you something?"

Rebekah turned around, facing the blonde vampire sitting at the table. "Sure?"

"Did Klaus put you up to this, did he ask you to play nice and keep me company? Because if yes, then really, I appreciate it, but you don't have to babysit me..."

"Klaus didn't say anything. Or well, he said he's out until late afternoon, but he didn't say anything else. I thought our pub nights have gone well so far and I had kind of fun yesterday, so..." Rebekah suddenly looked much younger, like an insecure little girl. Caroline felt bad for bringing it up.

"Good! I mean, bring on the Mimosas and gossip. I am glad it's not just because of Klaus," Caroline smiled tentatively.

Grabbing the things, the girls made their way back to the sitting room where they had spent the evening before. Rebekah turned on the TV and Caroline placed everything on the coffee table, filling their glasses with drinks.

Once they got settled and had a first sip, Rebekah glanced at Caroline again. "First an episode or first more gory details on the pregnant wolf I am forced to share my home with?"

Caroline laughed. "Well, you said you need alcohol for it, so I guess we watch one episode first and then get into the good stuff."

"Agreed!"

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Having fun with Rebekah was actually easier than Caroline would have ever expected. Watching 'Friends', they soon started comparing TV show characters to people they knew in Mystic Falls, and adding a few mimosas to the mix, they soon started giggling like any group of teenage girls usually would.

Rebekah kept her word and filled Caroline in on the Hayley situation. Hayley had turned up in New Orleans looking for her werewolf family, only to be captured by witches who had 'seen' her being pregnant with Klaus' baby. Klaus had first not been a big fan of the idea but Elijah, ever the family man, had jumped on the chance and had convinced Klaus to give it a chance. The witches had cooked up some kind of weird deal linking Hayley to the witches themselves and Klaus had decided to keep Hayley hidden- which didn't turn out too well, apparently. At one point, Tyler had shown up, knowing all about the child and also telling them some weird story about the baby being the key to creating more hybrids. Marcel had found out about it, but after a bit of a fight, Marcel had given up and Klaus and Marcel had agreed on a shaky peace. And this shaky peace apparently had been put in danger again, last night, through Caroline.

Caroline was still shocked about the news of Klaus having a baby. It's not as if she had expected him to live chaste or to be a 1000 year old virgin but still, she had not really thought about it. And now, that thought lurked in the back of her mind. Klaus in bed. _Not _something she wanted to think about while chatting with Rebekah over Mimosas! And then Elijah, being the gentleman as always. Caroline could imagine that he would come to Hayley's rescue, that just seemed so much like him. He just had the 'honorable' stamp right on his forehead, really.

After the first jug was finished and the girls had moved on to the second one, this one with a serving of blood as well, Caroline had worked up the courage to ask the blonde Original something else that had been on her mind.

"Rebekah, there's something else I wanted to ask but you don't have to answer if it's weird. Just, I have the feeling there's something going on with Marcel you are not telling me, you say his name differently from your siblings. And when you first heard that I had met Marcel, you seemed angry..."

"We used to date." Rebekah's replied quietly, looking at the floor.

"What, really? Woah, now I want details!" Caroline exclaimed. Rebekah smiled, she had expected Caroline to laugh or make a sneering remark like Klaus used to, not to behave like, well, a girl friend.

"It's quite some time ago, it was in the 1900s. Marcel was still human and he was living with us, and we fell in love. But Nik was against it and well, he behaved his usual way. He daggered me and he forced Marcel to leave me alone. I only returned a few months ago and ... I don't know. I have seen him again since then and he told me he had been waiting for me and he had wanted to be with me for a hundred years. That is why I reacted so angry when he took you out, I knew he was cooking up something, but at the same time, I was kind of jealous.

But - you must swear to never tell my brother that I have said this - but I think Nik may have been right about that one. And believe me, it would be a first. Marcel said he had been waiting for me and Klaus had offered him becoming a vampire if he would give up on me. But he could have easily found me, especially after I was undaggered. He was a vampire then. Or he could at least just have told me, if that was so much on his mind. I am just not sure if he is not lying to me, too, if he is playing the former lover still infatuated but in reality he had forgotten about me a hundred years ago and he just wants to rekindle it now because it would make my brother angry..." Rebekah looked at Caroline, with a questioning look on her face.

"What do you think, Caroline? Do you think he is telling the truth?"

"I really don't know. I mean, right now, I am not the biggest fan of Marcel, as you can imagine. But then again, I think Klaus can be rather intimidating, and especially if you are human and it's easy to hurt you. So I would understand if he got scared off. But you are right, if he would have really wanted to be with you then there would have been a way. I think you should at least be careful."

"I think so as well, yes. You want a refill?" Rebekah shook the jug in her hand so the ice cubes clinked. Caroline giggled. "Abso-hu-hu-lutely"

"Enjoying your afternoon, ladies?" Klaus leaned against the door frame to the sitting room, an amused expression on his face. "Here we were worried, Elijah, that our sister and our guest would be waiting in a locked room, scared about the big bad Marcel, and what is it? They sit here, drinking. At 3 in the afternoon I would like to add." He smirked. Elijah walked into the room behind him, smiling at the scene in front of him.

"Oh please, Nik, as if you'd never drink for breakfast, lunch, dinner or any time in between! Besides that, we have werewolf in our garden, I am sure the stench alone will keep any vampire away from us."

Klaus' expression changed within an instant, his gaze flicking to Caroline and back to Rebekah. "Sister, this is not..."

"Klaus, I have met Hayley already. She made me coffee. If you had wanted to keep this a secret then I guess you _should have_ locked me in my room" Caroline said. Strangely, she could not bring herself to look at him. The news about Hayley had changed something, she suddenly felt insecure looking at him, as if she was ashamed about not expecting this, about caring about the news.

"I hope it went peaceful, this morning?" Elijah added, looking at Rebekah. Rebekah rolled her eyes. "All hunky-dory, Elijah. As Caroline already said, Hayley made us all coffee and we sat down for a heartfelt girls' chat before Hayley decided to sprawl herself out on a lounge chair as long as it would take for you to surprisingly walk in on her."

Klaus laughed. He had sat down in one of the armchairs by now and watched his brother and sister bickering.

Elijah straightened up and turned towards the French doors leading to the pool outside. "I guess since we are now all here I will go get Hayley and we should talk again about the situation at hand. If you excuse me for a minute."

Rebekah rolled her eyes again, re-filling the glasses. "I don't see how we need her for this but sure, why don't you get the mother-to-be."

With Elijah returning with Rebekah, Caroline felt as if she had entered another dimension and she experienced a family night at the Originals. Elijah started a fire, Rebekah turned off the TV but got some blood and drinks from the kitchen, Hayley made herself a sandwich and sat down on one of the other large couches. Caroline stayed were she was, watching the others move around and about. She was surprised how comfortable and safe she felt, she had completely forgotten that a few hours ago, a bunch of vampires had tried to kill her. Only after a few minutes, she realized that Klaus was actually watching her, a small smile on his face. Caroline blushed.

Elijah clapped in his hands, trying to get the attention of everyone. "Good, let's discuss what we know so far and what this all could mean. Caroline, after you had time to process everything, do you mind telling us again what happened last night, and if possible, with as many details as you can remember?"

Everyone stared at her. Taking a deep breath, Caroline started telling them about her Friday evening again.

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The late afternoon had turned into evening and then into early night. Hayley had gotten up at one point and gotten her book from her nightstand, demonstratively reading instead of discussing Caroline's role in all this. Caroline assumed that before she had arrived, most of the conversations probably had been about the baby and Hayley, so it must be a new experience for the werewolf to see the attention diverted from her. Not that Caroline wanted to be in danger and in the middle of the discussion - but she couldn't stop herself from feeling a little bit smug about it.

On principle, Rebekah didn't agree with anything either of her brothers said so they had been discussing for hours. Caroline had kept quiet for most of the time, after telling the full story again. But her head was full with arguments, ideas and news she had learned. Elijah had filled her in with more details on the Marcel situation in New Orleans, and Klaus had confirmed most of what Marcel had told her about how he had been turned. Elijah explained who the most important witches were in town and at one point, Hayley chimed in, surprising everyone, by mentioning that Marcel also had been one of the main forces behind eradicating werewolves from the area, something she hated him for.

After hours and hours of talking, Caroline was exhausted and she only wanted the quiet of her room and a comfortable bed. But by now, they had not reached any real conclusion. Elijah was sure there was a bigger plan, and that Marcel had needed Caroline for something that also required a werewolf. But nobody could imagine how this could then harm Klaus or his position; there was no spell they knew of and 'the moon and the sun curse' had been an invention made up by Klaus and only worked on him, so no other vampire was able to recreate it. And why was it so important for Caroline to trust Marcel? Kidnapping, torturing, killing - everything would have been already possible for him but what did he need trust for?

Caroline yawned, drawing Elijah's attention on her again. After a quick glance at Hayley, he saw that the werewolf was already sound asleep on the couch, and Rebekah was seemingly nodding of as well.

"I apologize, Caroline. If my brother and I have learned one thing in the course of 1000 years, then to discuss with one another. We can go on like this for a week, probably. But you are tired, and so are the others. We should call it a night for now."

Caroline smiled. She liked Elijah, he was always so polite and the way he spoke? To die for. She always had loved Klaus' accent as well but not in a million years would she have admitted to it, of course.

"Yes, I am rather tired. I guess I am staying here for another night then. But, you know, I will have to go back to work on Monday, and I am working with Marcel. And I will need to let Sandy know tomorrow why I had not been staying at the guest house this weekend and I will need to know by then where I will be staying this week..." Caroline trailed off, suppressing another yawn.

"For now, you are staying here, that's for sure. And Caroline, you are welcome here for as long as you want. We have enough room and I must say I am impressed on how agreeable our beloved sister has been today, it must be your influence" Klaus said, smirking.

"You know full well that I am hearing you, Nik!"

"Niklaus is right, Caroline. We will talk more tomorrow but for now, we are only certain that there is something going on, and that Marcel had plans with you. Now, seeing as he was keen on instilling trust from you, I actually believe he will not hurt you. By now, he must have realized that you either didn't hear anything or at least not enough - in any other case, he knows that Klaus would have come after him. Marcel knows that you are here, believe me, he has enough spies in this town. I believe he will not harm you but that does not mean that we can trust him. It will be better if you stay with one of us at all times. But, I see you are tired, please, go to bed, and we will discuss more details tomorrow."

"Let's discuss tomorrow, you are right. Thanks again, all of you, for having me here." Caroline blushed slightly. She smiled quickly at them and before either of them could react again, she was out of the room and up the stairs.

'I really need to get some sleep and the last thing I need is another awkward Klaus moment now', she thought, while speeding towards her room.

That didn't stop her from having a night full of dreams and odd thoughts, about Hayley and a baby, Klaus, and the look on his face the night before, when she had tried to apologize.

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**Let me know what you think!**

**I'm working on the next chapter as I write this and let me just say: there will be more talk and explanations, and Caroline and Klaus will have a little heart-to-heart, maybe he will finally get his chance to explain the whole Hayley debacle to Caroline, yay!**

**Thank you so, so, so much for the reviews, maybe we can make it to 11 for this chapter? :-)  
**


	15. Sundays at the Originals

_**Thank you thank you thank you - you guys are amazing. Thanks for reading, for reviewing, for following, for commenting! You are the only reason for my quick updates - and for still writing the fic! Without you, I would have given up on it after the first few thousand words! **_

_**Huge thanks to **__**xxxLeanniexxx for pointing out that in TVD, the Mystic Falls gang already knew about the baby... (well at least Katherine and Stefan) - oops, sorry about that. **_

_**I must admit that I have only read the reviews/transcripts about the current TVD and Originals seasons online, they are not on TV where I am living at the moment. If any of you know of a place where I can watch them in English online (outside US, UK or the usual suspects) do ping me! **_

_**So, in my very own Klaroline universe, the Mystic Falls gang did not know. Oh, and, ignore the events from the last two Originals episodes - I had already started writing the plantation into the story, I had no idea they would actually move place!**_

_**...And it is Sunday, at the Original Plantation. Lots of Caroline-Klaus bonding in this one, more 'action' in the upcoming chapters. They needed a weekend to adjust, I think.**_

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Waking up the second morning at the Originals' plantation, Caroline knew instantly where she was, and she felt less awkward about it than the day before. She made her way to the en-suite bathroom and enjoying a hot shower, contemplated what to do with the day. She knew there were things to think about, thoughts she had pushed away all the previous day and night and that she had to come to terms with. Most of them revolving around a certain Original Hybrid, a pregnant werewolf and the fact that her ex-boyfriend apparently truly had finished with her, considering that she had not heard about any of it until 24 hours earlier.

After getting ready, she decided the first step should be to get some coffee, preferably sans werewolf this morning, and then look for a quiet corner somewhere in the grounds, and bring structure to the mess that was called her mind. If there's one thing Caroline Forbes loved, then it was structure.

Opening her room door, she nearly stumbled into Klaus, who, smiling widely, stood right outside her door as if that was the most normal thing to do in the world, standing motionless outside of closed doors.

"Good morning, love. I was wondering if you'd like to have some breakfast with me, now that you are awake?" He enquired.

"Have you been waiting here?" Caroline asked.

"Only for a little while - I have heard you waking up. I wanted to make up for yesterday; I should have been there to show you around and make you breakfast. So if you don't mind, that is what I will do now?"

"Uhm, sure. Yeah, I was just on my way to get coffee anyway..." Caroline was not sure if she was happy about this development or not. A tour of the grounds would be great, of course, but breakfast with Klaus, and all that without even having figured out yet what she thought about all of _this_? It was bound to become awkward, she was sure.

They went downstairs to the kitchen in silence. Klaus motioned Caroline to take her seat before he put on coffee and shuffled things around in the fridge. Without asking, he produced a number of different breads and pastries from a cupboard, followed by jam, butter and cheese. After he had placed everything on the table, he turned around to prepare scrambled eggs.

Caroline didn't know what to say. She wanted to help but on the other hand, didn't wanted to get in his way. She had been hungry, sure, but a full breakfast, made by _Klaus_? The whole situation drifted into surrealism.

"You want some bacon, too?" Klaus interrupted her thoughts.

Caroline shook her head, "Uhm, no, thanks. scrambled eggs and some toast looks fantastic, thanks. I feel kind of stupid sitting around here, shall I help you with something?"

Klaus looked at her, clearly amused. "Caroline, you are my guest here. Just enjoy your coffee and I will be right with you with the eggs."

Returning to the table with plates, cutlery and the eggs, Klaus sat across the corner from Caroline and filled two mugs with coffee. Caroline felt herself fidgeting, she could not really understand why she was so nervous, but the whole situation just seemed so far from everything she ever experienced, or expected to experience with Klaus, that she simply did not know how to react.

"Where are the others this morning, do you know?" She asked Klaus, only to start a conversation again.

"I don't know where Rebekah is, she may be at the supermall, outside the city, she likes going there on Sundays for coffee and a _'snack'._ Elijah and Hayley are in the bayou, Hayley has started seeing a doctor there who is also a witch and she likes to check up on her when the practice is closed for other patients. Usually, I take her but he agreed to fill in for me today..."

"Why?"

"Excuse me, love?"

"Why did you ask _him_ to take her today?"

"I wanted to rather spend the day with you, showing you around, making up for yesterday and that I was not the one to tell you." Klaus looked at her intensively, trying to judge her reaction.

"Oh." She paused. "It's nice of you to show me around today. But there's no need to make up for anything, I don't need a babysitter and you are not responsible for me. And there's no reason why you should have told me about Hayley, it's not like it's any of my business..."

"So you don't mind about Hayley having my baby?"

"Why should I mind?"

"I thought you may find it...scandalous"

Caroline laughed. "Scandalous? Klaus, it's the 21st century! One-nights stands leading to babies are not such a big deal anymore. Anyway, you are both single, you can do what you want."

Klaus didn't say anything anymore. He looked disappointed though.

Silence fell over the table again, while Caroline tried to eat her breakfast. She suddenly was not hungry anymore and it was hard to get anything down.

After a good 15 minutes of uncomfortable silence, Klaus cleared his throat.

"What do you say, shall we have a little walk through the grounds? It's quite lovely outside today."

"Oh yeah, sure. Thanks" Caroline got up immediately, taking her plate and mug to carry to the sink. Klaus stopped her mid-way with his hand on her arm.

"Please leave that, love. We have staff to do that."

With that, he signaled her to follow him and he walked to the main entrance door to guide her outside.

Klaus first showed her the area around the pine alley, with the garages and car park, the front yard and a little outside sitting area. They then walked along a little way to the back of the house where Caroline was not surprised to see a large sundeck with several lounge chairs, a seating area, a hot tub and an outside pool. Clearly, this was where Hayley had spent her previous day.

They walked through a little apple garden towards the former slave quarters. Klaus showed her that a few of the slave houses now were furnished as guest houses and a few others housed garden apparel, additional chairs and lounges and one was - a sauna.

Caroline's face must have given her amusement away because Klaus felt the urge to mention that all of these adjustments had been made by the previous owner, a rich business man using the house for entertaining business partners or friends.

Walking away from the slave quarters, Klaus pointed out where the former stables and farm buildings had been, and instead he showed her to a pond, hidden behind shrubs and a few trees. The pond was small but well-kept and two benches sat at its bank.

When Klaus sat down on one of the benches, Caroline hesitated for a second but then sat down next to him. She had expected him to start up the conversation from earlier again but to her surprise, he just gazed at the pond, hanging after his own thoughts.

The silence was more comfortable than earlier and Caroline found herself watching Klaus. It was unbelievable to see the thoughtful look on his face, completely at peace, surrounded by beautiful nature, but knowing that this was the same person that regularly killed and slaughtered anyone not agreeing with him. And impregnating a werewolf a few months earlier.

Again, that thought. Caroline wondered why the pregnancy of Hayley bothered her so much. And that it did, she had blatantly lied to Klaus earlier. She had said what was the rational truth, that she had _no right to_ be upset, that this was none of her business and that there was absolutely no reason why he should have felt obliged to tell her about it. But clearly, knowing this did not change the fact that she was upset about it. She never liked Hayley but she never liked Klaus either, so why would she care? Was it because she was a vampire and she would never have a baby, but Hayley, a supernatural being as well, was able to? But she was just entering her 20s, she had not been thinking about babies yet. But what then?

Hanging after her thoughts, Caroline was startled when Klaus finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry for not being the one telling you about Hayley. I am sure she did not package it well." Klaus spoke quiet but with a clear voice. He didn't look at Caroline but instead kept his gaze fixed on the pond.

"Actually, it was Rebekah who told me." Caroline paused, thinking again about the previous morning. "But you are right, she was probably gearing up for making the most of the story." Caroline scoffed.

"I know you said it does not bother you, Caroline, but it bothers me. I... I had been thinking a while about how I would tell you. You see, Hayley usually avoids my sister, and me, for most of the times, like the plague, and she stays out of the kitchen or other common rooms as much as possible. Just last week, I actually saw her using one of the kitchens in the small guest houses up there. I did not count on her determination to go against anything I want... I should have known better, I should have not let you alone there yesterday morning. I apologize."

Caroline looked at Klaus, tilting her head to the side and trying to figure out what his thoughts were.

"It's okay. And Rebekah did swoop in and safe the day, so nothing to worry about."

"I have noticed yesterday that my sister is changed since you two have become closer. She seemed more at peace with herself, and less annoying."

"You know, actually, Rebekah is alright. I mean, I always hated her in Mystic Falls but I have seen a different side of her these past two weeks, first at the pub evenings and now this weekend. There's more to her than what the eyes meet. Seems to run in the family" Caroline blushed. After considering it for an instant, she continued.

"You know, I have tried to apologize to you on Friday but you never properly let me. And...I have thought about what you said, earlier, I mean, that trust and honesty goes both ways and that as a friend, you only had wanted to make sure I was alright. And to tell me the truth about Marcel. " She paused. "And just to tell you the truth, it _does_ bother me."

Klaus looked up, looking at Caroline enquiringly. "What bothers you?"

Caroline blushed and dropped her gaze to the pond again. "Hayley. The baby. Hayley and you. I don't know exactly what bothers me. I don't know why either, but to tell the truth, it just bothered me, yesterday, when I heard. That had been my plan for today, actually, getting a grip on all the new information and developments and to think it through and figure out what I feel about it all..."

"Then shall we do this together, today?" Klaus smiled, his mood obviously lifted. "Maybe my perspective will make things easier for you to understand."

Caroline smiled back, meeting his gaze again. "Agreed. But do you mind if we take a turn around the pond? I kind of want to see what is on the other side."

Klaus immediately stood up, holding his arm to Caroline and smiling at her. "Lead the way, madame. And before we start analyzing everything that has happened lately, why don't you tell me more about that internship of yours? You have mentioned it a few times, in anger and yesterday night to Elijah, but you never told _me_ what it is about?"

Caroline took his arm lightly, starting to walk along the little track around the pond. Smiling at Klaus, she started telling him all about Clare, her colleagues and the amazing internship she had gotten.

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Walking around the pond and then across the wide fields surrounding the plantation, they returned to easy banter and Caroline felt, for the first time since arriving at the Originals' home, truly comfortable again. It reminded her of the day with Klaus at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, how easy he had made her laugh and how easy it had been to forget, for just a little while, all the horrible things she knew about him and she had seen him do.

Klaus told her, in his very own way, how he had found out about Hayley and, although he did not say it directly, she could feel his hurt that Hayley apparently found much more comfort with Elijah than with the baby's father. Klaus admitted that he was looking forward now to the new challenge of having a child but that he had not expected it to be such a fight before it actually had been born.

Caroline finally found the courage to tell Klaus how the day with Marcel at the plantation had really went, and that the kiss had been... one-sided. Klaus had smirked but she was grateful that he did not make a mean remark about it, instead behaving like a gentleman and accepting this new information graciously without making a big deal about it.

After they had walked everywhere in the grounds, Klaus had led Caroline back to the house, where they sat down outside near the pool. Klaus, fetching a blood bag for Caroline from the fridge, had also brought along some blankets and cushions and Caroline felt like on holidays in a spa hotel for a little while.

She was just in the middle of telling Klaus the latest about Mystic Falls and how she and Elena had been faring so far at college, when Rebekah returned from her 'morning snack' at the mall. She smirked when she saw Klaus outside with Caroline, but to Caroline's surprise, she did not remark on it.

Instead, she went inside again to fix a jug of some cocktail and, bringing it outside with a few glasses, relaxed in one of the remaining lounge chairs, listening to Caroline's college tales.

"By the way, Caroline, as you are just mentioning college - we are going for the pub night tonight, right? We should go earlier today, Marie texted telling me about a 'talent's night' at the pub. That should be awesome, lots of drunk college girls making fools of themselves on stage. I cannot wait to see it, " Rebekah grinned.

"Sure, that sounds great, I really need to see Sandy anyway, I haven't spoken to her since Friday! When do you want to leave?"

"I guess we should make a move around 5ish, Marie made sure that our usual table is booked."

"You are joking, right?" Klaus asked, with a frown on his face.

Caroline looked confused at him, Rebekah sighed. "Oh please, Nik, what is it now..."

"You are not taking Caroline to the pub tonight."

"What, why not?" Caroline asked surprised.

Klaus looked from Caroline to Rebekah, sounding exasperated.

"Have you two not listened to anything Elijah and I have said yesterday? Marcel may still be out for Caroline. Before we do not know more about it, there is absolutely no chance I am letting her out of my sight! One of us has to stay with her at all times."

"Duh, and what do you think I am doing, brother? I am with her, tonight. Should you have forgotten that I am your _original_ sister and I am well prepared to look after Caroline? Why do you always have to make such a big deal out of everything!"

"You are not responsible enough to take care of Caroline, little sister. You may just meet any average quarterback and off you go..." Klaus scoffed.

"Excuse me! Did I save Caroline on Friday, or not? Did I tell you about Marcel trying to lure her in, or not? You always say we do not want to be your family but then you never trust me, with anything!" Rebekah cried.

"Rebekah, I am not arguing with you about this, you are impossible. Caroline stays here and is not to leave the plantation, until we have figured out what the next step should be, " Klaus said angrily.

"Helloooooooo, earth to Originals?" Caroline chimed in, before Rebekah could reply. Both of them looked at her, clearly they had forgotten she was there at all.

"You guys do realize I am here as well, right?"

Rebekah smirked.

Turning towards Klaus, Caroline continued, with a solemn face. "Look, Klaus, I appreciate your concern, and I have listened to what Elijah and you have discussed yesterday. But I am not letting myself becoming a prisoner. I can take care of myself and..." - she raised her hand when she saw Klaus wanted to interrupt, begging him to let her finish "...and if anything unexpected should come up then Rebekah is right, we two will be able to fight it off. "

"Caroline, love, this is completely out of the question. Marcel may have Sandy been followed, he may have an army of vampire minions waiting for you at the pub..."

"...But why should he, Klaus? It's just like Elijah said yesterday. Kidnapping, torturing, killing me - he could have done this already a week ago. But he didn't. He also didn't try contacting me, or luring me out this weekend. He apparently wanted me to trust him, for whatever reason. And he won't get this trust after trying to kill me, don't you think? Besides, if Elijah is right, then Marcel knows that I am staying here right now; do you really think he will be making a move on me when he must expect that the whole Originals posse is coming with me?"

"Originals posse?" Klaus asked.

"Go with the time, Nik" Rebekah laughed.

Caroline could see that Klaus wanted to start again. She held up her hand again, hoping it would hold him off for a second so she could add more.

"Klaus, please. _Trust me_. _Trust Rebekah_. It is only a pub night, we won't be walking into Abattoir or anything like this. Besides, don't you understand that I don't want to be the victim anymore? I am so _sick of_ always being the one being kidnapped or used as bait or whatever. I am not hiding here for all eternity."

She looked at Klaus, not sure how he would react. Rebekah looked excited, looking from Klaus to Caroline, clearly wanting to know just as much as Caroline what her brother would say to this.

"Fine. You can go to the pub night. But you will stay at the pub, you will not go anywhere else besides coming back here, is this clear? And Caroline, do not make me regret this. I have no patience with this - if you are lying to me now, I will find you and I will drag you back here, and it will be much less pleasant than what you are used to."

"Yay, my brother is finally coming to his senses" Rebekah giggled.

Caroline smiled, first at Rebekah, then at Klaus. If was weird, how their relationship had shifted yet again. They had been enemies, tentative friends, allies for a brief time. She had feared him, hated him, and somehow, at one point, she had started to understand him. At least from time to time.

'And sometime this weekend, I may have started trusting him...' she thought.

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Like agreed, Caroline and Rebekah left the plantation at 5 in Rebekah's red BMW. Before leaving, Caroline had texted Sandy, letting her know that she had been staying with Rebekah and 'old friends' of hers in a place outside of New Orleans for the weekend but that she would come to the pub night. She hoped her friend would not ask too many questions about _those friends_, and she also hoped she would not be mad at her for running out on Friday.

Rebekah was in a very good mood, even humming along to the radio.

"I can't believe my brother has not put up more of a fight" she said suddenly.

"_More of_ a fight? Rebekah, he was pretty much screaming at you, forbidding me to come!"

"Yes, but it's Nik! That's nothing. If he really had insisted, he would have simply daggered me and locked you in his bedroom or something..." Rebekah shrugged. "Clearly it's your influence though. I must admit, and no offence here, but I have never understood why my brother was so infatuated with you. But the more I see you two together, I am just astonished. He is so different when you are around, so... well-adjusted, almost."

"He is not infatuated with me, he just...worries." Caroline tried to play down what had happened earlier. But deep down, she agreed with Rebekah. She knew how Klaus could be when he was insisting on something. For a while, she had not expected him to cave in. But apparently, he was prepared to trust her...

"Sure, just tell yourself whatever lets you sleep at night. I know my brother for a thousand years and I can tell you, he does not worry. Simple as that. I am his sister, and not a single time in all our life has he worried about me. _He likes you_. I don't know if I should feel sorry for you or if I should rejoice about it but that's the fact."

Caroline didn't say anything to it. She felt embarrassed, remembering that Klaus had said that he 'fancied her', 'wanting to be her last love'. But Rebekah didn't know this, surely, at least she had not been there. And it did not seem like something to share with Klaus's sister just yet.

"You know, Rebekah, I am actually kind of grateful. To Klaus, I mean. He tried warning me about Marcel ever since I arrived, he told me several times, and I screamed at him. And then, when it turns out he has been right all along, I am staying at your place, and he does not say a word about me being in the wrong. He really tried making me feel safe today, and I think he only agreed on tonight because he wanted to 'make me feel comfortable', or something."

"I know. If I would have been the one not listening to him, he would have let me get staked at least 50 times before helping me. And even then, he would have told me every other minute that he was right about it all along..." Rebekah sighed.

"I think I should get him a gift."

"Wait - what" Rebekah looked at Caroline confused. "You want to buy my brother a gift?"

"Yes. Actually, that's a really good idea, the more I think about it... I mean, that's what friends do. You trust each other and you say thank you. I didn't really trust him so far but he was right..."

"Well, if that's what you want to do," Rebekah shrugged. " He'll definitely be surprised, if that's what you want to achieve. Thinking about it, I cannot remember the last time any of us has received a gift..."

Caroline was excited now. A gift. That was perfect. It was a friendly gesture, not too intense, and it showed she really wanted to apologize. It would also help her feel less awkward about staying at the Originals' place for so long. But what do you give a 1000 year old Original hybrid?

"So, do you have any ideas what I could buy him?" Caroline asked.

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The pub night and the talent show was great fun. Rebekah and Caroline arrived first, securing the usual table and ordering a round of drinks and finger food, while waiting for the others. Marie had been right, it was an open talent night with students signing up on the spot for showing off their 'talents'. It was not bad at first but the later the evening got, the more the girls laughed.

Sandy arrived second, hugging her friend and asking her how she'd been. Rebekah apparently had made up a story about Caroline walking in on Marcel with another girl on Friday, and had explained Caroline's crying departure with it. Caroline felt grateful towards the blonde Original. Both of them spun a net of lies about the so-called friends, who had rented an old plantation outside of New Orleans to study/paint/for holidays, and Caroline told Sandy that she would stay with them for a while, seeing as this way, she would also save money.

Sandy was happy to finally tell her friend about Thierry and how he had found her on Friday at Abattoir, apologizing about not calling her all week and for being so evasive. Apparently, it had been a 'busy week at work'.

Caroline had agreed with the Originals to not tell Sandy about Thierry being a vampire; this was not something you could tell a human on a side note. But both Rebekah and Caroline now pleaded with Sandy making sure she'd be careful, that Thierry had been behaving badly and that she deserved so much better.

It turned out to be a long night and around midnight, Caroline had to remind Rebekah that she had to work the next day, and she really needed to get some sleep.

She glanced at her cell phone, checking the time, when she saw that she had two missed calls and a text message from Stefan. In all the noise from the talent show, she had not heard her phone. With a bang of guilt, she realized that she had not spoken to Stefan since Thursday, and that she had not told him yet any of the news from the weekend.

_'Care, are you alright? Worrying about u, haven't heard anything all weekend. _

_Be safe, call me. Stefan'_

Before getting into the car with Rebekah, Caroline tried to call him back, only getting his voicemail.

"Stef, so sorry! Wanted to call you all weekend but lots of going on. I'm alright apart from being Klaus-bait once more and having to share a coffee machine with a pregnant Hayley while staying at the Originals' place. Anyway, I will rather tell you all in person. I need to go, Rebekah looks like she wants to kill me right now. Miss you!"

"Alright, alright, I am coming" she said to Rebekah when putting her phone back into her bag.

"May I remind you that YOU are the one who wanted to leave - so you rather hurry up now, I do not feel like standing around in the cold all night."

Caroline rolled her eyes, laughing at Rebekah's theatrics. She was glad that she had gotten to know the Original better this weekend.

'Who would have thought that Rebekah and I may end up being friends..." Caroline mused.

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_**Reviews, thoughts, feedback?**_

_**And for all the Stefan lovers - watch out for chapter 17. I will try to update as soon as possible, hopefully this weekend...**_


	16. Flowers and broken necks

_**I think I am repeating myself but - THANK YOU! Love the response to the fic - so much Klaroline love. I will pm all those that have it activated - all others: thank you for following, favoring and of course commenting/reviewing!**_

_**I love reading your thoughts and comments on the fic so please - keep them coming! It makes me write even faster.**_

_**And now to something many of you have waited for: We have a visitor from Mystic Falls in this chapter. Guess who?**_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Flowers and broken necks**

Caroline had dreaded Monday morning. She had wondered all weekend how it would go at work and if Marcel would show up or request a meeting; but she had pushed those thoughts away. Now that the day was here, she had to make the most out of it. Dressed in smart jeans, boots and a white shirt, she went downstairs to get coffee and to see if there was any blood in the fridge. She had not seen any of the others feeding but Klaus had given her a bag the previous day so apparently they had it stocked at least.

Waiting for her in the kitchen, sitting at the large wood table, was Elijah.

"Good morning Caroline. I have been waiting for you. Coffee is ready if you would like some? And you know, we have some blood bags in the fridge. I don't know what is your favorite type?"

"Great, thanks. Why have you been waiting for me? Is something wrong?"

"No, no" he smiled at her. "You don't have a car, I believe, so I thought I drive you to work?"

"Oh, that sounds great. Thank you!"

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Elijah was exactly the kind of driver she had expected him to be. Calm, foresighted and relaxed. He tried to initiate some mindless chat but Caroline was too nervous to really get into it.

"Is everything alright, Caroline? You seem nervous."

"I am, kind of. I am not sure what to expect at work; Marcel knows where I work and he has officially a reason to come and see me there: he is the business partner for my department. And I really don't know what to think about this."

"Everything will be okay, Caroline. Trust me. You have nothing to fear about. Niklaus and I will not let anything happen to you and believe me, my brother would not have let you go to work if he had any reason to believe you are in danger there."

Elijah smiled warmly at her, immediately putting Caroline at ease.

"Well, even if he is not turning up at work today, Marcel I mean, I am bound to see him again sometime this week, right? So, what am I going to say to him?"

"I do believe you will see him sometime soon, yes. But I also think that it will be not a problem at all. Marcel may be plotting against Klaus but he is smart enough not to do anything out in the open now. I rather think he may attempt getting on your good side again – and on Niklaus', for that matter" Elijah mused.

"So you think he will not try anything because he _fears Klaus_?"

Elijah looked at her, an amused look on his face. "Does it surprise you that someone may find my brother frightening?"

"No, of course not," Caroline smiled. "I was wondering if that means that I have to thank Klaus again. For being frightening enough so that I can continue with my internship," she laughed. "Actually, since we are talking about Klaus already… I was thinking about buying him a gift. You know, as an apology or thanks, or so. You are the person knowing him best – what do you buy a thousand year old vampire werewolf hybrid, who probably already _has_ everything, and _has seen_ everything in the world?"

Elijah looked at thoughtfully. He took his time before he replied.

"That is very kind of you, Caroline. He will appreciate it very much. _**I **_appreciate it very much, actually. It is not happening often that someone actually thanks Niklaus for anything he does…and as a matter of fact, I may have a few ideas." Elijah smirked. "Let me think about it and I will get back to you about it, okay?"

Caroline wondered why he seemed so amused but she was grateful that Elijah did agree on helping her. "Sure, that would be great. Thanks!"

"So, you are okay with staying with us for now? You will stay in New Orleans for a while?"

"I would like to finish my internship, so yes, I'd like to stay in New Orleans. But I can move back to the guesthouse…"

"Absolutely not, Caroline. We are very happy to have you."

"Okay. And, you know, Elijah, I was thinking about what you told me on Saturday, about the situation in New Orleans and that Marcel probably tried using me to get at Klaus. And, well: I am fed up with always being the victim. Seriously. Why is it always me? And I want to strike back." She paused. "I want to help."

With one eyebrow raised, Elijah looked at her. "That is a very generous offer, Caroline. You understand that it may be dangerous? We _are_ the Original Family, and my brother cannot be killed but that does not mean that Marcel or the witches in this town, or whoever else is involved, may cook up something that puts us, _you_, in danger."

"I know. But really, after the last three years in Mystic Falls? I think I can handle it. We have tried killing pretty much everyone in your family but still, Rebekah saved my life on Friday, you took me in and offered me protection, and Klaus has pretty much warned me about Marcel from day one. I am angry, Elijah, really angry. And fed up. I am not the dumb blonde pushover that everyone believes me to be. It's time that New Orleans understand this, too."

Elijah smiled widely at her. "Believe me, Caroline, nobody in my family thinks you are a 'dumb blonde pushover', on the contrary. And on behalf of my family, I do accept your offer, gladly. But for now – it's time for you to go to work. Let's talk about it tonight?"

Caroline realized that they had arrived at the Convention Bureau. She thanked Elijah and got out of the car.

Without waiting for him to drive away, she walked up to the building.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Caroline had just walked up the stairs, turning towards her office, when Clare put her head out of her office door, calling Caroline to come in.

"Morning, Caroline! Did you have a good weekend?"

"Yes it was ...good, thanks. How about you, did you get away from the office at least for a while?"

"My weekend started well enough but I had some bad news yesterday morning, I am afraid. Caroline, you remember Marcel, the business owner who was our new business rep?"

"Yes, of course. I had a few meetings with him last week. Why, what about him?"

"Well he called me yesterday, quite unexpectedly, I must add. He said he cannot be the business rep anymore, he has an important deal coming up or something. I know he just started and all, but this is now the second business rep we lose within 2 weeks, and I really don't know who we can call in as replacement. The Mayor is clueless as well, he had put so much hope in Marcel coming on board."

"_He quit_?"

"You know he was doing this as voluntary project, right? So you cannot really call it quitting but yes, he dropped out of the project. I think for now, it would be better if I take the reins again on the business relationship task, Caroline. I am sorry about it but since we may not have a business rep to work with, we will need someone with more experience on this part of the work. Could you take on some of the desk-based research instead?

"Yeah sure, don't worry about it. That's fine!"

"I know that the desk-based research can be boring but you are more flexible with it as well. You are new to New Orleans, so feel free to take a day and have a look around and do some sightseeing and work the odd hours on the research then. You can also take it with you, if you'd like to go home for a long-weekend or something. I promise you, Caroline, once the project is rolling again, I will bring you back in to the more exciting things, okay?"

"Absolutely, really Clare, do not worry about it. I am so grateful for this internship as it is, anything I do here is great for me, I am learning so much already. And some research sounds great, I had thought about looking into older Mardi Gras events anyway..."

They chatted a few minutes longer about this and that before Clare had to run to another meeting. Caroline, without going to her desk, made a beeline for the front door. On the way out, she had already pulled out her cell phone, searching for Klaus' number.

"Hello?"

"Did you go see Marcel this weekend?"

"Caroline? Do I detect anger in your voice, love? What is the matter, dear?"

"Do not '_Love_' me, Klaus! Did you meet with Marcel this weekend, did you threaten him?"

"Now, now, _threaten_ is such a harsh word. I may have been visiting Marcel on Saturday, yes..."

"What? You are _unbelievable_! We were spending all Saturday evening, all Sunday together, we talked _for hours about Marcel_ - and you didn't find it necessary to tell me about seeing him?"

"Really, love, calm down, will you? This is not a big deal."

"It is a_ very_ big deal, Klaus! I was worried! All weekend! I hardly slept last night, thinking about how the internship would go this week; and then I arrive here this morning to find out he _dropped out_?"

"Marcel quit his work with the Mardi Gras Committee then?"

"Don't act as if this is news to you! You just admitted seeing him!W

"Caroline, seriously. Please calm down. First of all, it was not me seeing Marcel. It was my _brother and me_ seeing him. We went to pay him a visit on Saturday. Second of all, I did not know that he would quit the Committee. I had _suggested_ it to him but that doesn't mean that I trust him enough to follow through with it. And finally, really? You were worried? Why? Did I not tell you that I will protect you, that no harm would come to you? "

Caroline scoffed. "Well you just admitted that you were not sure he would drop out; so what if he would have turned up, just to spite you? You are half an hour outside of New Orleans, Klaus, of course I worried!"

"Elijah is outside of your work building, Caroline."

"WHAT?"

She heard a laugh from the other side of the line. "Did you really think he would drop you off and then just drive away? Elijah drove you for your protection; he was there to make sure that Marcel showed the common sense to stay away from you. Once he is sure about it, he will leave. Why do you think we insisted on driving you, we could have just given you a car, no?"

"I can't believe this. You planned out the entire thing - and you didn't tell me anything? What happened on Saturday then, and what do you mean you 'suggested' it to him? What did you tell Marcel? And anyway, Elijah just told me this morning that I should stay with you at the plantation for the time being, but if Marcel now leaves me alone I could just return to the guest house!"

"That is completely out of the question. Elijah and I are convinced that he will not try openly to harm you but he has an endgame, Caroline. And I will not let you stay on your own before we have learnt what it is."

"Fine. So what happened on Saturday then?"

"Shall we not just talk about it tonight, Caroline? Aren't you supposed to, I don't know, work?"

"Don't try to distract me, Klaus, I know what you are doing. You think I will let it go. Well, I won't. I won't be a pushover. Tell me what happened."

"A pushover?"

"Klaus!"

She heard him laugh again. "It's okay! Look, your story had me worried and I wanted to visit Marcel to see if he would be a threat to you. Elijah, well, my brother apparently thought I may lose my patience with him so he went with me. Marcel already knew that you were staying with us but once he figured out that we did not come to kill him, he seemed relieved. _There is_ something we don't know yet, Caroline, something you did not hear that night. I made sure to let him know that no harm will come to you and that he should stay away from you; and my brother had the glorious idea of bringing up your internship. From what Marcel said, he swore that him pursuing you has nothing to do with me, and that you two had a misunderstanding; that he did not want to harm you but only wanted to see you."

"Misunderstanding? Wow, the nerves of that guy!"

"He was very keen on calling you to apologize and _make it up to you_."

"And what did you say to this?" Caroline thought she could actually hear his smirk through the phone line.

"Naturally I threatened his life if he should so much as _think_ about calling you."

"Don't you think this should have been my decision? To say if he should call or not?"

"Do you want him to call you?"

Caroline paused. She sighed. "No. No, I don't. It was not a misunderstanding, I know what I heard. I may not have heard anything about his actual plan but it was clear that he only wanted to use me for something. And I am truly fed up with being _used_ by guys!"

"Caroline. You are safe now. Nobody will be_ using_ you. I promise. But, since you insist so much on it being your choice, it seems to be your lucky day. Elijah agreed that he may contact you to apologize. He knows you are under our protection so do not worry about it. Anyway, love, was there any reason for calling me?"

"Are you joking?"

Klaus laughed. "Yes, actually I am. Please, love, go back to work, calm down, and get your mind off it. If you are still angry about it tonight, then we can talk about it later. Okay?"

"Fine. But Klaus?"

"Yes, Caroline?"

"Get Elijah on the phone and tell him to stop lurking outside of my office!"

The last thing she heard before pushing the stop button was Klaus' laugh.

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Returning inside and finally going to her desk did not take her mind off things. On the contrary. Sitting there, on her desk, was a massive flower bouquet with a note pinned in the middle of it.

'100 bucks I know who this is from' Caroline thought to herself.

_'Caroline, my sincerest apology for our misunderstanding on Friday. My intention had never been to scare or harm you! I had been excited to hear you are at Abattoir and wanted to see you. _

_Please, let me explain - anytime that suits you. You know how to reach me._

_Marcel'_

'Misunderstanding my a**' Caroline thought angrily. She did not throw the note away though, instead, she got her phone out again, checking for Marcel's number. Elijah had said she could help, did he not? Well, she would help. And she would prove them all that she was not in need of a babysitter. She was a vampire, for god's sakes. And a smart one, too.

'Marcel thinks he needs my trust? Well, I can give you trust...' With that thought, she started writing a text message to Marcel, thanking for the flowers and accepting the apology.

'Caroline, I am so glad to hear from you! Are you okay? I know you stay at the plantation. M'

'I'm fine. I was scared. There were five unfamiliar vampires surrounding me and Rebekah ripped their hearts out without so much as a warning. I'm shaken up, you could say. C'

'I am so sorry about this! You must believe me, I would never harm you. Please, let me explain about Friday...Any time and any place you want. Your conditions. M'

'I will think about it. I need to get to work now. Our business partner has dropped out this weekend...'

'I can explain that, too... xx M'

Caroline scoffed to herself. 'xx, seriously?' she thought.

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Getting started with work turned out to be harder than she had thought. Her mins kept drifting off, mostly returning to what she had heard Friday night, trying to figure out what it had meant. Although she was still angry with Klaus and she knew she had every right to text Marcel, she also had a bad conscience about it - which just increased her anger. When it was 1pm, she had not gotten any work done and she was in a really bad mood. Caroline considered what do to in her lunch break when her cell phone rang again.

"Rebekah?" She asked.

"Hello, working woman! I am in the area - do you want to meet for lunch?"

"I really don't know how you are doing this Rebekah but I really could use some lunch. Especially in the form of alcohol."

"Well, to be honest, I have overheard your conversation with Nik this morning; he was sitting in the dining room with me when you called. I expected you to need a little girl chat, it's usually the reaction one has after talking to my brother on the phone."

"You don't know how right you are. Meet you in five?"

xxxxxxxxx

Rebekah took Caroline to a hip al fresco place in the business district where they served fresh fish and barbecue. They ordered a bottle of wine and Caroline complained about Klaus and what she had found out. She also told Rebekah about the flowers and her text messages and she briefly wondered when it had happened that she had started to see Rebekah as a girl friend. And as someone she could trust.

But her trust was not misplaced. Rebekah revived hearing the full story and she immediately agreed with Caroline: it was time to stand her ground. She promised not to tell Klaus about the text messages before Caroline decided what her next steps were, and she offered her assistance with anything Caroline cooked up.

Caroline's mood lifted and when Rebekah suggested she should take up Clare on the offer of working from home, she agreed. Together, they went back to the office where Caroline grabbed the files she had wanted to go through, packed her laptop in her bag and wrote Clare a message that she would be working from the plantation for a while.

Full of plans and feeling alive, they drove back to the plantation together.

"I'll fix us some cocktails and if you want, I can help you researching some of the themes? You know, I am quite good with party planning," Rebekah teased. They had just arrived at the door and Rebekah unlocked it.

"If you want to? I will change into something more comfortable and then meet you in the..." Caroline stopped dead in her tracks. There, in the middle of the foyer, was her best friend Stefan. Unconscious, with a broken neck. Sitting next to him, on the bottom steps of the staircase, was Klaus, looking rather moody.

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_**Such a good time to have a little break, don't you think :-)**_

_**Now - please let me know - what do you think? **_


	17. With Love, from Mystic Falls

_**Alright, so - have I mentioned before that Silas stayed dead/in stone in my story, and that there are no triple/quadruple doppelgangers? Just way too complicated for this story, I rather make up my own complications :-)**_

_**We may get back Bonnie at one point though, still thinking about it...**_

_**A lovely and huge bouquet of (virtual) flowers to BlueSky, SwanQueen4055,xxxLeanniexxx, AlexAngel77, Speed Girl 87, khaduhr 448, Kristina's my Name!  
**_

_**And a golden trophy to whysotvobsessed for being the 100th Story follower, wooop wooop! **_

Chapter 17

_Previously, on "Of Wolves and Men"_

_"I'll fix us some cocktails and if you want, I can help you researching some of the themes? You know, I am quite good with party planning," Rebekah teased. They had just arrived at the door and Rebekah unlocked it._

_"If you want to…? I will change into something more comfortable and then meet you in the..." Caroline stopped dead in her tracks. There, in the middle of the foyer, was her best friend Stefan. Unconscious, with a broken neck. Sitting next to him, on the bottom steps of the staircase, was Klaus, looking rather moody._

"What – Stefan! Oh my god, Stefan!" Caroline ran to Stefan and bend down to her friend to see how bad he was hurt. Apart from the broken neck he seemed fine and since he was a Vampire, she knew he would wake up again.

The initial shock wore off and instead the anger rose up in her chest.

"What have you done? Seriously, _Klaus_? Why is Stefan here and why is he dead?"

"Now, now, who says this is my fault?" Klaus sounded hurt.

"What, he broke his neck all by himself?"

"He attacked me – without any reason, I might add. He rang the doorbell and when I opened the door, he stormed in, throwing wild accusations at me. I was simply defending myself!"

"_Defending _yourself? You are the bloody Original Hybrid, Klaus! No matter what Stefan said, you were never in any danger! Why did you break his neck?!"

"It seemed to be the only way to shut him up. Seriously, Love, he was quite unreasonable. I tried talking to him. This was the most natural way to get him to listen." Klaus smirked.

"Come on now, Caroline. Stefan is a grown man and a vampire no less. He will wake up in a few minutes and everything will be fine."

"Everything will be fine? .His. Neck! You _killed_ my best friend!"

Caroline was so angry, tears stood in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to launch herself at Klaus and beat him senseless.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a movement on the floor. Stefan had woken up. Sitting on her knees next to him, Caroline hovered over him, holding his hand. "Stef?" she asked.

"Care…. You are okay. Are you okay?"

"If_** I**_ am okay? You are the one on the floor who just got his neck snapped, Stefan!"

"I thought you were kidnapped, or tortured, or held captive somewhere. I was so worried, Care!"

Stefan sat up, feeling his sore neck and looking protectively at Caroline. "I am so relieved you are okay!"

"Why would you think that I was tortured?", Caroline asked confused.

"Your message. You said some pretty mysterious things, I thought maybe you meant it as code, or something. About being held with a werewolf, and Rebekah wanting to kill you, and Klaus being involved and stuff."

"Excuse me, I don't want to kill Caroline. Nik, I think you hurt Stefan's head," Rebekah said, sounding quite insulted.

Stefan looked around himself, taking in the Original vampires gathered around him. Klaus was still sitting on the staircase, seemingly relaxed. Rebekah stood near the door where she had just gotten in, watching what was happening in front of her. It was Stefan's turn to be confused.

"Caroline, what are you doing _here_? Why are you here? What is going on? And what about the message?"

Caroline blushed slightly. She avoided looking at the Original but instead focused her gaze on Stefan. "Stefan, I can't remember what I said in that message yesterday but you must have misunderstood me. I am not held her, well not really. I ran into _some difficulties_ and I am staying here for…._protection_, at the moment." She felt embarrassed.

"What? What kind of difficulties? And why protection? Seriously, Care, why am I only finding out about it now?"

"Look mate, since you are now your usual self again, why don't we get you up from the floor and move this discussion elsewhere? I suggest the sitting room. Seems like our Caroline here did not keep you up to date with her 'adventures' in New Orleans", Klaus said, with an eyebrow raised at Caroline. He got up and offered Stefan a hand to get up. Stefan hesitated for a second but then accepted the offered hand.

"Yes, I think it's time someone is filling me in. That doesn't mean I will forget that you just broke my neck, Klaus" he said.

Grinning, Klaus replied, before leading the way towards the sitting room "You of all people should know that snapping your neck was me behaving nice, actually."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_**24 hours earlier...**_

"Seriously, Care, where are you...", Stefan murmured to himself, after calling his friend for the third time within thirty minutes. He was sitting in the living room in the old Salvatore Boarding House, book besides him, and scotch in his hand. He had been in a bad mood all day and it had probably already been one or two scotch too many for the evening. One reason more why he was quite desperate to get his friend on the phone. It was not like Caroline, to let a weekend go by without at least checking in once.

Again, the phone went to voicemail. With a sigh, he wrote a message.

_'Care, are you alright? Worrying about you, haven't heard anything all weekend. _

_Be safe, call me. Stefan'_

She better called back after this. He knew her phone would send her annoying 'beeps' as reminder for an unread text message. Sighing again, Stefan kicked back the remaining scotch, immediately refilling the glass. It was enough to cover the base of the glass, then the bottle was empty.

"Damn..." Stefan mumbled.

Leaning back in the leather of the couch, his thoughts drifted away.

The whole weekend had been bleak, really. If he was honest to himself, he had let himself go since Caroline had left. Without the blonde, bubbly friend, he had been on a downward spiral into brooding. Damon had been considerate enough to spend most of the time with Elena in Whitmore College, instead of having her over at the house. But with Caroline in New Orleans, Matt off at college himself, and Bonnie not visible to him, he had spend most of his time alone. At the Grill, or at home.

The whole situation had turned for the worse when Damon brought Elena on Friday, only to then take her on a mini-break to the old lake house. _Their_ lake house. where he had spent so many weekends with Elena. It still hurt.

Sometimes, he thought he was over it, that it was more the loneliness that made him so bitter these days. But on Friday, when Elena had been at the house, and he had heard her laugh echo through the house, it had felt like a kick to the stomach.

And now, not even his only friend left called him back.

"Time for more scotch", he decided and got up to search for more in the liquor cabinet. He staggered slightly, and catching a sight of himself in the mirror above the fireplace, he suddenly felt pathetic. Here he was, a more than 300-year old vampire, getting drunk night after night alone, at his own home, feeling sorry for himself.

"I need to get out of here" he said to his reflection. Before he could change his mind, he grabbed his leather jacket off the floor and left the house.

Mystic Falls seemed deserted but there was always something going on at the Grill. It turned out there was bingo night, a charity event organized by the Historic Society. He hadn't played bingo in at least 50 years but what the heck. Any distraction was useful. Grabbing a seat at the bar, he ordered another scotch. If he had to play an old-ladies game, he at least wanted to keep drinking. Mrs Meyers, one of the charity ladies organizing the event, came by his seat to sell him a bingo card.

The evening did not turn to the better. He didn't win at bingo, to be honest, he did not even check his card that careful. Throwing a look around the grill, he had quickly realized that bingo night may have not been such a good distraction after all. The only people attending were the usual charity event-goers, all middle-aged or senior couples, sitting together in small groups and gossiping about neighbors and friends. Surrounded by them, he felt lonelier than before.

After his second scotch, he decided it was time to try Caroline again. Hand in his jacket pocket, he quickly realized that he had left the phone back at the house. "You are the biggest loser on this planet, Stefan Salvatore," he said to himself.

Stefan left the bar after another 3 scotch, now not only staggering slightly but quite considerably. Mrs Meyers, who had eyed him suspiciously all night, had simply signaled the bartender at one point, indicating that they should not serve him anymore. If he wouldn't have been that drunk, he would have protested but since he had drank his way through the better of two bottles that evening, he didn't say a word. Without asking, Mrs Meyers called a cab and told him to get home and not make a fool of himself.

Arriving at the boarding house long after midnight, Stefan was on his way to bed when he remembered his cell phone. Getting it from the couch table, he saw a missed call from Caroline and a voice mail blinking.

"Finally, Care...". Pushing the call button, he brought the phone to his ear.

_"Stef, so sorry! Wanted to call you all weekend but lots going on. I'm alright apart from being Klaus-bait once more and having to share a coffee machine with a pregnant Hayley while staying at the Originals' place. Anyway, I will rather tell you all in person. I need to go, Rebekah looks like she wants to kill me right now. __Miss you!"_

He listened to the message twice and he still did not understand it. The last time he had spoken to her, she had been spending most of her free time with a girl called Sandy, and she had been raving on and on about how cool her boss Clare was and what a great job she had gotten. Not with a word she had mentioned any Originals and wait, Hayley? Did she mean the werewolf Hayley, who had betrayed the hybrids and Tyler? And why would she be living with her? It didn't make any sense.

But ...Hayley had betrayed Klaus, she had un-sired his hybrids. Caroline had said something about Klaus in the message, and apparently Rebekah was there as well, not happy about something. Could it be that Klaus had Hayley and Caroline under his thumb? Maybe his persisted calling tonight had gotten on their nerves and they had allowed her to answer, and then Rebekah had supervised her phone call... and maybe she tried code?

"Tell you all in person..." He mumbled. Was that a cry for help, did she want him to rescue her?

Drunk enough to not care, Stefan grabbed his keys, flashed to the garage and was on the way to the airport within a minute.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Stefan, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked him again. "I am happy to see you but did something happen?" They sat in the sitting room, three Originals, a pregnant Werewolf and the two friends from Mystic Falls. Stefan had looked positively shocked once he had seen Hayley. She was pregnant, he could see it. But why was she here?

Stefan, looking around in the room and into 5 curious faces, finally answered. "Well, I got your message, Care...and it sounded like you are in danger. Actually, it sounded like Klaus held you captive and that Rebekah was threatening you or something. So I drove to the airport, got on the first flight in the morning and came here."

"Huh," Caroline said. She was surprised. What had she said during that phone call again? "I didn't say anything about being in danger, did I?"

"Yes, you did! You spoke about being Klaus-bait and that you were forced to share room with Hayley, and before hanging up, you said something about Rebekah wanting to kill you or something..."

Caroline frowned. She had remembered her message. "Stefan, could it be that you were a bit drunk when you listened to that message? I was wondering all the time now what that smell is but now I know. You smell like a liquor cabinet, actually. What have you been up to, since I went to New Orleans?"

"What do you think I was up to? Bonnie is an invisible ghost, Damon and Elena are honeymooning at Whitmore or someplace else, and Matt and you both left town. Even Klaus has left town, so what do you expect me to do most of the time?"

Caroline felt ashamed. She had thought about it before leaving but now, listening to the facts, she wondered how she could have ever left Mystic Falls like this. She had left Stefan alone.

"I'm so sorry, Stefan. I'm so so sorry. I hadn't thought about it properly before I left. But honestly, you shouldn't be staying in Mystic Falls. I told you that!"

"I am not done yet with Mystic Falls, Caroline. I have spent most of the last three hundred years apart from Damon, fighting with him when I saw him. This is the first time since we turned that we have something like a truce, that we actually try to be friends. However hard it is, with him being with Elena, I have to give it a try, I cannot just leave town and never look back."

"Didn't you just say he is hardly ever there, mate?" Klaus asked quizzical.

"That's temporary. Elena still needs to adapt. Once she's not such a young vampire anymore, he and I will try and become closer again." Stefan paused, looking back to Caroline." So, if you were not in danger and I misread that message, what are you doing_ here_ then?" It was very clear to everyone present that he meant the presence of the Originals with that, and that he did not think it very wise of her.

"Well... I didn't say I was not in danger. I said I was not in danger of Klaus..." Caroline hesitated. Stefan raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.

"Right...where do I start..." Caroline said. And with that, she told Stefan everything that had happened since she arrived in New Orleans, from meeting Rebekah at the pub night to the first night at Abattoir, when she saw Klaus and when Marcel saw her for the first time.

Stefan was speechless at first. They had texted, they had talked on the phone and he only heard about all of this now?

"Woha, Care - Why do I only hear about this now?"

"I didn't want to worry you. I knew you would react like this. I actually thought you would call Klaus and ask him to keep an eye on me or something."

"I already had both eyes on you, love." Klaus smiled.

Caroline rolled her eyes but continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "I knew, that if I would have told you about Marcel and running into the Originals, Elena would freak and would immediately travel to New Orleans, just getting herself in danger. Bonnie would have given me quite the speech about how imperative it was to stay away from ...Klaus... and you? Well I was not entirely sure. I was sure that you'd either immediately fly in or that you'd have a little chat with Klaus. And look - I was right about it!"

"That witch is really getting on my nerves..." Klaus mumbled sourly.

"Care... of course, I would have worried! But you must see that there was a reason to worry! From everything you just told me, it is pure luck that you did not get harmed! If Rebekah would not have stopped those guys..." Stefan shook his head. "Look, Care, I know how good this internship is for you. Getting out of Mystic Falls for a while, trying something new, forgetting about all the drama we had those last 12 months and getting away from everything that reminds you of Tyler. I get it. But you must see that New Orleans clearly is not the solution. You are here for only 2 weeks and already you are in danger. Come home with me, Care. We can figure something out. What about we stay in Mystic Falls for a while, do Thanksgiving at home, and then we go somewhere else, together, you and me, a little fun trip. Maybe New York? Or California"

"I'm not leaving, Stefan. I'm sorry, I know you only want to protect me but seriously? I don't want you to protect me. I want to stay and I want to help. I will not leave without making sure that Marcel knows that I am not a dumb little blonde vampire he can use for his games. I am not the victim anymore! Elijah and I have agreed that I should help." With that, Caroline, nodded at Elijah, who had been standing near the fireplace until then. He smiled at her.

Klaus' head shot up, looking from Elijah to Caroline. "What do you mean, you have _agreed _with _Elijah_ you would help. Brother...?" He asked with menace in his voice.

Elijah left the fireplace and stepped towards his brother, hands raised up. "Caroline and I talked this morning and we agreed it would be best for her to stay here at the plantation for the time being. And if she can support us at something then she is happy to do so. We will not put here in danger. You know that, Niklaus."

"Care is not gonna stay here. Are you crazy? You guys just told me that the vampire king of this town is plotting against Klaus and the rest of you, trying to use Caroline somehow in that plan of his. She is bound to get hurt!" Stefan was outraged.

"Caroline is safer with me here than she has been at any given point of time with you in Mystic Falls, " Klaus sneered.

"STOP!" Caroline said loudly. "What did I just tell you guys? I am fed up with this! This is not your decision Stefan - and do not even think about grinning, Klaus - it is not yours either! This is my decision, and mine only. I want to stay in New Orleans so I will stay. I do not mind staying here at the plantation, Stefan - Rebekah and I are friends and Klaus and Elijah have behaved very courteous towards me so far. Hayley and I may have our issues but I am sure we will survive staying in the same mansion for a while. I am finishing my internship and I will continue seeing my friends and when the opportunity comes up, I will get my payback. End of discussion."

Klaus looked affronted, Stefan baffled - Elijah smiled. Rebekah, whose head had perked up at the mention of her name, grinned widely. "That's it, girlfriend! It's about time you told the boys..." she giggled. Even Hayley smiled.

"Care... be reasonable. It will be dangerous for you," Stefan tried to convince his friend. Caroline only shook her head.

Klaus grinned. He got up from the chair he had been sitting on and stepping over to Stefan, patting his back. "Come on, mate, she is staying in a house with three Original vampires and a werewolf, do you really think there's any place in this world where she'd be better protected?" Turning towards the liquor cabinet to get a glass of scotch he continued. "Besides, as you can see, we have plenty of room here. What's waiting for you in Mystic Falls apart from bad scotch at the Grill and watching your brother whispering sweet nothings to Elena?"

He offered a glass of scotch to Stefan with a spark in his eyes.

" Stay in New Orleans, mate. I can promise you enough distraction."

"Yes! Stay!" Caroline exclaimed in delight. "You need a break anyway. And it would be great to have you here, there are so many cool places I want to show you."

Stefan, looking from the Original Hybrid to Caroline, didn't know what to say. What had happened here? A few months ago, Klaus had been the most hated person in all of Mystic Falls, and now, Caroline stayed in his house out of free will? And she looked _comfortable_ here, easily conversing with the three Originals, calling Rebekah her _friend_? He was relieved that Caroline seemed not in immediate danger and in one point, he agreed with her and Klaus: As long as the Original kept an eye on her, she would be safe from Marcel and his plans. But who kept her safe from Klaus?

"Okay. I am staying. And I think I will take you up on the offer of that scotch now, Klaus."

Grinning broadly, Klaus offered Stefan the glass again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The group of friends, or rather allies, stayed in the sitting room for a while, catching up on everything else that had happened. Elijah hinted at Stefan the details of Hayley's pregnancy and Klaus retold the story of how Marcel had become what he was.

Stefan told Caroline the news from Mystic Falls although there was not much to tell. Her mother worked hard as usual, hardly ever taking a day off, now that her daughter was not there to spend the free day with her. Elena had been mostly at College but he knew from Damon that she was doing quite well, adapting slowly to blood bags and enjoying her college classes. Bonnie was apparently looking for a spell from the other side, trying to find a way to return to the living. But since he could not see her, he did not know any details, she mostly kept to Jeremy's company.

Hayley had excused herself an hour ago already, taking a book and going to the pool outside. Rebekah had left for a hair/nails appointment and Elijah had started looking through the pile of newspapers he subscribed to.

Once all news had been exchanged, Klaus offered to show Stefan the rest of the house and to find a room for him. Caroline, happy to finally have her friend back, followed the two men.

Klaus showed them around the ground floor first, pointing out the library/study, the dining room and the kitchen area. Moving up to the first floor, he mentioned that all guest rooms were situated here, on the right side.

'Wait, what? All? What room am I staying in then', Caroline wondered to herself. Klaus showed Stefan the room where Hayley was staying - right next to Elijah - pointing out the three remaining guest rooms.

"Which one is yours, Caroline?" Stefan asked.

"Caroline is staying upstairs" Klaus said.

"Then I'd take a guest room upstairs?"

""There are no guest rooms upstairs." Klaus smiled slightly. "I usually occupy the top floor alone. But since Caroline was in danger, I decided it was best to keep her close. That's why she is staying upstairs in the only spare room there is."

"All the rooms upstairs are yours?" Caroline asked. She suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable. She had known that Klaus was staying opposite of her room but that she was basically living_ in_ his apartment?

"The other room is my studio - the one opposite of you?"

Stefan had followed the conversation with a raised eyebrow. He was glad that he had decided to stay.

"Well any room will be good then. Right here?" He pointed at the first room on the right, opposite of Rebekah.

"As you wish. Now, as I said, Caroline is staying upstairs on the left, I am on the right. Do you want to see the surroundings?"

"Sure, lead the way."

They moved downstairs again, Caroline still following behind. Caroline felt confused about her own mix of feelings. On the one hand, she had been embarrassed in front of Stefan. She had seen his reaction about her staying on the second floor alone with Klaus. And she was ashamed that she had never questioned it. She had seen that the others all lived on the first floor but she never even thought about asking. On the other hand, she felt _touched_. Touched that Klaus had felt so strongly about her protection that he had even wanted to keep her close _in his own house_. That's the usual reaction of anyone when it came to Elena, but for her? Usually, the others were not so fuzzy about it when it came to her. Everyone always expected she'd be fine.

Klaus showed Stefan the car park and offered him free use of any - there were five - apart from Rebekah's red BMW and a black SUV he usually drove. He showed him the way to the former slave quarters, pointed out the sauna, the empty guest houses and the sundeck with the pool. He left out the little pond where he and Caroline had spent the better part of the Sunday though, Caroline realized.

Caroline watched Klaus showing them around and after a little while, she finally recognized the look on his face. He looked _happy_. Happy to have his former friend here, happy to show both of them around.

Once they finished the tour, it was already past 6. They returned to the house and sat down in the sitting room again. Caroline grabbed a blood bag from the fridge and filled a glass for herself.

"So, Care, you mentioned a lot of cool places. Do you want to show me your favourite bar and we catch up a bit more?" Stefan smiled at his friend.

"Yes, absolutely! I don't have a favourite bar yet, though. I quite liked Rousseau's but it seems to be one of Marcel's favourites too, so we should find ourselves our own favourite, "she grinned at him.

"There is no way you are going out, Caroline. That pub night yesterday was an exception, as you very well may remember. We knew it would be only you girls, and Rebekah was with you. The French Quarter is Marcel's territory; and you are not going there alone."

"I am not alone - I am with Stefan!"

"Absolutely not."

"Klaus, you cannot stop me from going. I am not a prisoner, I think we have established that already!" Caroline said angrily.

"Fine. Then I come with you two."

"Stefan and I are both vampires, we do not need an Original babysitter!"

"Caroline, you really should know my brother better by now. There's a better chance of hell freezing over than of him letting you go out alone with Stefan. Haven't you realized yet that he is absolutely paranoid?" Rebekah said from the door, where she had just came in. "But luckily for you, I am back now so I will rescue both of you. I will come as well."

"How is that supposed to rescue them, little sister?" Klaus asked.

"I am rescuing them from a boring night of course! The three of you, you are bound to suffer a night of scotch, bad temper and no fun. I, on the other hand, do know the best places to have a fun night out."

Caroline was still angry at Klaus but she agreed to the new deal. With Rebekah there, she and Stefan may at least sneak in a few minutes alone-time. The siblings always bickered so much and Rebekah was on her side, surely she would help her to sneak off to the bar with Stefan for a little while.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Informing Elijah about the plan, the four vampires left the house and took Klaus' SUV. With the two girls in the back seat, Klaus drove them towards New Orleans. He parked in a side street of Bourbon Street and the four of them got out off the car and walked towards the bustling main party street.

" 'Leroy's 'is quite good to start the evening, " Rebekah said. "It's just over there and they got good cocktails, Caroline!"

Rebekah lead the way, with Stefan at her side. Klaus kept eying Caroline from the side but ever since they had left the plantation, she had been ignoring him. When they reached the door, Klaus apparently had enough and held her back by her arm. "Caroline, really, are you never gonna speak to me again?"

"Klaus, let go. I don't want to talk to you right now."

Stefan and Rebekah both turned back towards them, they had already reached the door. Rebekah, immediately understanding the situation, rolled her eyes. "Stefan, why don't you help me get drinks at the bar. Caroline, I'll get us a jug of something strong and fruity, alright? We meet you guys inside."

Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Stefan by his arm and dragged him inside. Stefan looked back confused at Caroline and Klaus, but followed Rebekah nonetheless. There clearly was something he missed so far, and it was time he got some alone-time with Caroline to find out what that was.

Caroline crossed her arms and looked away from Klaus.

"Look Caroline, what is this about? You may at least tell me why you are angry at me, no?"

"Do you have to ask? I am not your property, Klaus! I am a grown woman, a vampire no less! I can take care of myself, and you cannot forbid me to go out with a friend if I want to."

Klaus sighed. "I thought this was it. I did not want to forbid anything, Caroline, and as you can see, you _are_ out with a friend. I am trying to protect you, Caroline."

"Right. So this morning, you let me walk into the office - _alone_. While I was expecting to meet a pissed off Marcel, out on revenge. But in the evening, when I am not alone, you suddenly decide it's too dangerous for me to go out without you?"

"Caroline, I told you that Elijah was nearby. I was certain, we _both_ were certain, that Marcel would not bother you. He knew we would be watching you."

"But you didn't tell me! All Sunday! You didn't tell me. You almost made me beg to let me go to Pub night and at the same time you knew perfectly well that nothing would happen!"

"I did not know perfectly well that nothing would happen. For starters, Sandy was still an unknown. What if Thierry would have turned her, or compelled her? Did you think about that?" Klaus was angry too now, but he tried to stay calm.

"Caroline. Look. I apologize. I did want to tell you but I had to know first if it would all work out. And I didn't know that it would. Elijah was nearby and we didn't tell you this because I knew you would oppose to it. You have given me enough of your 'I do not need protection attitude' to know how you would react. You were never in danger, I will always protect you, I promised you this. During the pub night? I was just around the corner, listening in to what was going on at the pub. This morning, Elijah was there."

Caroline's anger was gone but she still was somewhat annoyed. "So, which one of you checked the flowers for hidden poison?"

"The flowers?"

"Oh what, Elijah did not know about that? Marcel apologized with flowers and a note, it had been left on my desk when I got in this morning."

Klaus was quiet for a second, digesting the information.

"So what did you do with it?"

"I replied, thanking him for the flowers and agreeing to hear him out."

"WHAT?"

Caroline threw her head back, hands on the hips.

"Yes. Exactly. I have agreed with Elijah that I will help. And that's exactly what I will do now. Marcel wants to talk? Well, we will talk. He wants my trust? I think I can manage to fake some trust. You do not become Miss Mystic Falls if you cannot lie."

"Absolutely. Not. I will not allow this."

Caroline sighed exasperated. " You know what? I am tired of this conversation. And I need that drink now. Let's talk about it tomorrow, at home." Caroline turns towards the doors but waiting for Klaus to catch up.

He looked at her funny from the side, a thoughtful look on his face. "Okay." With that, he led her inside, to the to the others.

'At home?', He thought. And the thought did not make him unhappy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_**What do you think?  
**_

_**The next chapter update may take a few days (Christmas party time...) - I aim for this weekend!**_

_**For all those of you wondering what the gift from Caroline to Klaus will be - sorry, that'll be a few more chapters. But I promise you this - it will be perfect :-)  
**_

_**Thanks so much for sticking around - let me know what you think? Review below!**_


	18. Let the Games begin

_**Sorry for the late update! The last weeks before Christmas are always busy. More updates to follow over the holidays though - I wanted to give you at least a little teaser!**_

18 – Let the Games begin

The night out in town turned out to be great fun. They had done some bar hopping and Rebekah proved to know the best places for every time of night. Klaus had been content with being in the same room and Caroline suspected he tried to apologize to her, by staying mostly at the bar at whatever place they went to. Rebekah had joined Stefan and Caroline for the first few drinks but the later the night, the flirtier she got and she hit the dance floors more often than not.

Caroline and Stefan enjoyed the time together. Stefan did not ask about what was going on with the Originals and her; he knew Klaus would hear every word anyway. But they discussed Elena and Damon, the Lake house trip and made plans what they could be doing the coming weeks and months.

Caroline was happy; it was great to have Stefan with her and she suddenly felt much more excited about her stay in New Orleans. She had missed having him around, a friend she hundred percent trusted, a friend who knew her better than anyone lately. Even the anger against Klaus subsided; he very much tried to show his best behavior by giving them some alone time.

It was long after midnight when the quartet finally returned to the plantation and all four of them fell into their beds.

With the new work arrangements, Caroline already had decided on having a research day at the plantation instead of going into the office. She met Rebekah in the study in the morning and the two girls engrossed themselves online with research and, as Rebekah put it 'advanced party planning'. Stefan had left for the nearby woods to have a look around and get some non-human food.

The day turned out to be a relaxing and strangely comforting day. Even Hayley joined at one point in the study, although she was sitting a bit separately and kept reading her novel.

Klaus had left the house early in the morning and did not return for the rest of the day. Caroline wondered if it had anything to do with Marcel; and if Klaus would stop by his adversary to complain about the flowers and to threaten him some more.

Caroline was well aware of Stefan wanting to talk to her about Klaus; he had tried to grab her twice already. And as much as she was happy to have Stefan around and as much as she had missed talking to him - she was not ready to have that conversation. The last few days had shown her just how confused she was herself. Seeing how Stefan looked at her when she had argued with Klaus the previous day had reminded her that he, indeed, had been her arch enemy just a few weeks ago. How come she felt safe and comfortable around him and his family now?

Returning from his trip from the woods, Stefan surprised them all by bringing grocery supplies from a nearby shop; announcing he would cook Italian for them.

As if they'd had known, Elijah and Klaus turned up shortly before dinner was ready and the group of allies sat down together in the dining room for pasta, salad and antipasti, prepared by Stefan. Klaus grabbed a few bottles of, most certainly, expensive Italian wine and they all enjoyed the meal in peace.

Hayley was the most surprised member of the group. She didn't know Stefan well and she was not only impressed by his cooking skills but also by how well he seemed to understand everyone around the table.

Long after dinner the group remained in the dining room. Elijah had put on some music in the cd player and after the first bottles had been finished, conversations had started to flow more freely and soon they traded funny stories from the past centuries.

Caroline held back slightly but rather watched the group of people around her. She felt relaxed and safe; surrounded by a group of supernaturals. Stefan and Rebekah were bickering in a friendly way, arguing who had seduced the other back in the 20s. Hayley listened them with a surprised look on the face - clearly she had not known about this couple before. Elijah had excused himself for a minute, to take a phone call. Distracted by her own thoughts, Caroline realized late that she was being watched as well. Klaus, sitting almost across from her, was intently watching her, with a slight smile on his face. Looking at him and returning the stare, Caroline blushed although she did not understand why. It's not as if he'd had caught red-handed in some mischief. She returned her attention back to Stefan but kept looking at Klaus from the corner of her eyes. He seemed...happy, she realized.

A buzzing from her jeans pocket brought her back to the table. A quick glance on her mobile phone revealed a new text message. From Marcel.

Caroline tried to catch Rebekah's eye across the table and once she thought the blonde has seen her, she pushed back her chair slightly. "I'll be right back, I think I need to switch to something else to drink instead of wine" Caroline said to noone in particular. Stefan who was now telling Hayley a few embarrassing stories about his time with Klaus in the last century, smiled at her briefly before returning his attention to the werewolf. Walking towards the kitchen, Caroline could feel Klaus' eyes on her but he remained at the table.

Once in the kitchen, Caroline turned towards the pantry. She knew the storage room had especially thick stone walls to keep the perishables cool. Hopefully, it would also keep the other Originals from hearing her.

Caroline had just gotten her phone out of the pocket when she felt a movement behind her. "What's up, girlfriend? Did you get bored by our stories from the good old days?" Rebekah laughed. She drew closer to her, with a curious look on her face.

"I got a message from Marcel," Caroline whispered. Within a heartbeat Rebekah was serious.

"Ohhhhh - what does it say? And good call to meet in the pantry, by the way. I think we will be safe from Niklaus' ears in here"

"It says:

_Have you thought about it? Mx_"

"Huh. That's short..." Rebekah said.

"Yeah... So, what am I replying? I mean, I want to help and I want to have my revenge but then again, I guess Klaus will simply not let me..."

"Let's keep Nik out of this for now. I'm on your side, I promised you that. And I think it's about time we girls fought back and stop being the victims all the time. I have picked up a few tricks over the centuries how to keep my brother in the dark. So if you are up for it, let's start with our mission "pay-back"!" Rebekah smiled devilishly.

"Alright" Caroline said. She started typing.

_'I have. C'_

Within seconds, Marcel had replied.

_'I'm glad. Do you want to meet? I want to explain. Please. Anywhere and anytime you want. M x'_

Looking at Rebekah and seeing her nod, Caroline typed away.

_'OK. I am in the office tomorrow. Lunch? Meet you at Rousseaus? C'_

_'I will be there. 1pm? Looking forward to seeing you, Caroline. M x'_

"Alriiiight... it's done, I guess?" Caroline looked at Rebekah again. "I'm not sure If I should be scared or excited right now, to be honest."

Rebekah smiled at her friend. "It'll be okay. It's quite easy, actually. You go to the office tomorrow, I tell the boys I am shopping. When it's time for lunch, I will be next door to Rousseau's, listening in and being your backup. And you will wrap him around your little finger. My brother will never find out. Let the games begin!"

"I think I am excited then! Thanks, Rebekah, for helping me out" Caroline said. "I guess we should go back though, he?"

"Yes. Let me grab a few drinks. Niklaus can be such as a suspicious pain."

Caroline grabbed a blood bag from the fridge; Rebekah got herself a bottle of bubbly. Laughing, the girls returned to the sitting room.

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_**Next update this week - sorry for the delay!**_

_**And to get back to you about a few questions: **_

_**First kiss? Be prepared for chapter 21/22 approximately :-)**_

_**I had to change a few of my storyline plans since by now I have seen the Originals episodes and they ruined a few of my ideas, sadly enough. But Marcel's plan will be revealed - I aim at chapter 25/26 for it.**_


	19. Lessons in 'Lying to Klaus'

_**Sorry again for the very short last chapter and the big delay before that - pre-Christmas time coupled with a bit of writers' block do that to you! But I am back now and hope to update a couple of times between the years.**_

_**THANK YOU for reviews, following and favorites! I'll try and get back to you guys in some personal messages this week.**_

_**Special shout-out today to a big inspiration of mine: xXWhisperofDreamsXx on YouTube. She makes the most amazing Klaroline videos and whenever I need a bit of Klaroline to push me to write - she'll do the trick. Amazing work , check her out!**_

19 - Lessons in 'Lying to Klaus'

"You look nervous, Caroline..." Rebekah teased. It was a sunny morning in New Orleans and the girls were on their way to the French Quarter. As agreed the night before, Caroline had told the others that she would need to go to the office for a few hours, and Rebekah had offered to give her a ride - since she wanted to go shopping anyway. Nobody had asked any questions and it had seemed to Caroline as if everyone had already expected the two blonde vampires to hang out together.

"Well I kind of am, to be honest. I am not sure what to expect. I mean, Marcel cannot be stupid enough to still want me to be part of his plan, surely? So maybe he does plan on using me as hostage, or something. Maybe I should have told the others" Caroline wondered. She had been fidgety and nervous all morning, spilling coffee all over her white blouse and having change once again before they had left the house.

"I will be there, Caroline. Nothing is going to happen to you. And if Nik or Elijah thought you'd be in danger from Marcel then they would have never allowed you to go to town at all, don't forget that. I will be buying a few things in the morning, keeping up the ruse, and when you go to Rousseau's later then I will be within hearing distance."

"I know. I think I am not even really nervous because of Marcel, maybe. Maybe it's because I lied. "

"Huh. So you have a bad conscience because you lied to my brother?" Rebekah raised an eyebrow.

"I... am not sure. Maybe. I just, I kind of feel bad about it. Klaus did try to protect me all the time, and I wonder how he'll take it if he ever finds out about today."

"You are worried about Klaus. Wow. I did not expect that, to be honest, the way you always like to fight with him. But rest assured - he will not find out. You just make sure that Marcel believes you the innocent girl act and then we'll see where this goes."

They had reached the office and Caroline climbed out of the car. Rebekah waved goodbye and drove off to find a parking spot near the shops. Caroline walked into the building and up to the first floor to her desk. She nodded to a few colleagues and grabbed a cup of tea from the kitchen, before settling into her seat. A glance at the wall clock revealed it to be 9.30am. 3.5 hours to go.

Concentration was hard to come by all morning. As much as she tried, her thoughts drifted back to the conversation in the car and to the situation with Marcel. She had thought about it a lot by now and Caroline was sure that the tense feeling in her stomach had nothing to do with Marcel. She agreed with Elijah and Rebekah - if Marcel would have wanted to hurt her, he would have tried so already earlier. She knew she would be safe, Rebekah would be nearby and Marcel probably wanted to dish her a bouquet of lies - so to speak.

No, most of her worried thoughts came back to Klaus. She knew he would flip if he found out. Rebekah was right, the plan was failsafe and there was no reason why Klaus should find out about it. But somehow, Caroline felt bad about lying in the first place. When did she start to feel bad about lying to Klaus? She had been lying to him non-stop, all those years in Mystic Falls. Hell, '_Lying to Klaus_' had been her job description - she was the personified Klaus-bait after all. But something had changed those last few days.

'Maybe I should stop dodging Stefan's questions about my situation with the Original Family. If anyone can help me figuring out what is happening here then it's Stefan," Caroline thought to herself.

Caroline left the office a few minutes before 1pm and made her way over to Rousseau's. She had not been at the bar since the 'date' with Marcel and she was not sure if her decision to meet there had been a smart one. She was hoping the blonde waitress Camille would be working again and that's why she had proposed the location. She felt safer if she knew the place already and if there was anyone around she could trust. Not that a mere human barkeeper would really be able to help her, should she run into any troubles.

Marcel was already waiting for her outside the restaurant. He was sitting at a table to the left of the entrance, in bright sunshine. As soon as he saw her, he stood up and met her half way. He was smiling broadly at her and it was then that Caroline's flurry subsided. Yep, he would try to charm her.

"Caroline. I am so glad you came. " Marcel smiled and gave her a slight kiss on the cheek.

Caroline smiled timidly at him. "Hi. Well I... I feel kind of embarrassed about the other night, to be honest. So I thought I meet you at least to hear your story."

"Embarrassed? Why would you be embarrassed, Caroline?"

Caroline hoped she would blush but at least she cast her eyes down in a, hopefully, shy gesture.

"I may have overreacted... and I fear you thought I was acting like a little school girl."

Marcel smiled at her, leading her to the table he had already occupied.

"Oh Caroline, I would never think you to be acting like a schoolgirl. I have thought much about that night and I must admit it probably would have been better to come looking for you myself, instead of asking some of my boys to find out where you have disappeared to. I fear they may have intimidated you but that was never the intention. You must believe me, Caroline. I would never want to harm you, and all I had wanted was to find out why you had ran off the club, without speaking to me?"

" It's really stupid. I mean, well I had wanted to surprise you, and I was looking around the club and found a few rooms in the back? And when I got there I suddenly realized that I had not been invited there and I heard you laugh and I was kind of scared I'd walk in on you with a girlfriend or something and I just felt really stupid and I ...left"

'Please, for the love of god, let him believe this absolutely bullshit-story' Caroline thought. She had known he would ask why she had ran off but really, the only idea she had come up with? It was to play dumb blonde.

"You thought I was with a girl? You didn't hear Thierry?"

"Thierry was with you? I didn't know. Sandy had been looking for him, actually." Caroline played surprised. She could see that Marcel relaxed more and more by the second. Strangely enough, he seemed to believe her.

'So he thinks I am a stupid blonde. Huh. figures...' Caroline thought annoyed.

"I was with Thierry and a few of my boys, we just talked business, really. I am shocked you would have thought I would spend the evening with another girl, only a few days after I quite clearly have laid out my feelings for you..." Marcel smirked and raised an eyebrow.

This time, Caroline blushed for real. She had not expected Marcel to start flirting with her again and she had not yet figured out yet how much she wanted to lead him on.

"As I said, it was kind of stupid. We had been drinking already quite a bit, the girls and I, so I blame Rebekah's cocktails, " Caroline laughed.

Their food arrived and Caroline was happy she had something else to divert her eyes to. She had been sad to see a stranger wait on them but since they sat outside in the sunshine, she felt safe again after all.

Marcel offered her bread from the basket and started his meal as well. The conversation turned to new topics and after a few minutes, Caroline felt herself relax. Yep, Marcel definitely was trying to get on her good side again.

Her lunch hour flew by rather quickly with Marcel being a gentleman from the book. He told her compliments whenever he could fit one in, laughed about her stories from the internship and tried to impress her with a few anecdotes hinting at how busy he was working with the most important business people in town.

Just when Marcel had paid the bill, Caroline startled by the sudden appearance of Thierry at the table. He smiled at her broadly, clearly in on the 'Let's charm Caroline to death' plan.

"Caroline! It's so good to see you. Sandy had told me you are staying with a few friends outside town at the moment? She's been talking non-stop about you, clearly she is missing you."

"Hi Thierry. Yes, I have met friends from my home town, Mystic Falls? It's nice to have company so I have decided to stay with them for a few days. "

"A few days? So you will move back to the guest house at one point?"

"That's the plan, yes" Caroline replied, smiling at Thierry. 'Two can play the game, boys', she thought to herself.

"Are you here to pick me up, I assume, Thierry?" Marcel asked. They had gotten up and stood around in front of the bar.

"Yeah, Monique said you'd be here. There's a few things you should take care of, I am afraid. But I hope I did not interrupt your lunch!" Thierry grinned at Caroline instead of Marcel.

"I have to get back to the office anyway, so no need to worry, Thierry. But if you see Sandy tell her HI from me, will you? I will try and catch up with her sometime this week" Caroline said.

"I'll see you around, Marcel?" She continued, smiling slightly at Marcel.

Before Marcel could say anything, Thierry chimed in again. "Funny you should mention this - Sandy had told me just yesterday that she wanted to call and ask you about a show she wants to go to. There's a jazz contest at Ruby's on Thursday night - it should be great fun. Do you want to come?"

"Euh. Well, I don't know yet. Are you not taking Sandy?"

"We could go together, the four of us?" Thierry looked at Marcel. "Marcel's big on music so I am sure he'd come along, right, boss?"

"It would be my pleasure. I am sure you'll enjoy it immensely, Caroline, it's typical New Orleans and it is something you must have experienced in our town, really..." Marcel smiled at her.

'Hell I will...' Caroline thought. Instead of saying her thought out loud, she smiled at the boys and said "Let me see how busy work is. But I promise I think about it and I will let you know - tomorrow?"

Marcel grinned now. "Absolutely. I hope you decide to come."

They said their goodbyes and Caroline left the two vampires to walk back to the office. She did not turn around but she could feel their stares on her back. She walked quickly, desperate to call Rebekah from the office to hear her opinion.

Reaching her desk, she realized there was no need to call the blonde vampire. Her friend was already waiting for her.

"Did you hear the conversation?" Caroline asked immediately. She sat down, looking curiously at Rebekah.

"You bet I did. And wow, what an asshole. I cannot believe I had feelings for him for so long. He seriously thinks he can convince you with those crappy lies?"

"I know! He must think I am a stupid and naive blonde little girl! I was so angry sometimes but I think it went well, he seemed convinced. Don't you think?"

"Absolutely. And come on, that douche-friend showing up? That was totally planned! He wanted to rope you into going out with him and he thought if he can lure you in with Sandy being there as well it would look less suspicious. What an idiot."

Caroline was relieved. She had worried if Marcel would really believe her but chatting to Rebekah, she felt victorious suddenly. She had done it. And without the help of Klaus. She had played the game and gotten Marcel to believe her lies. She would get her revenge. Feeling exhilarated, the girls decided to call it a day and grabbed their stuff to drive back to the plantation.

"I don't know about your hours in the office but that lunch was excellent work. I think we deserve an afternoon in the heated pool with some cocktails!" Rebekah said giddily.

"If you can borrow me a swimsuit... " Caroline replied. She packed her bag and turned to the blonde vampire to leave the office.

"Are you kidding? I have been shopping all morning for things I really do not need - you have free picking."

Laughing, the girls drove back to the plantation.

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All seemed quiet when they arrived back at the house but, oh, was she wrong. Caroline and Rebekah decided to grab some bottles from the liquor cabinet in the sitting room to make a bunch of cocktails for their personal victory pool party only to find the sitting room already occupied. Stefan and Klaus sat in two sofas, in absolute silence but nursing two rather well-filled tumblers of whiskey.

Caroline, still on her high from the successful Marcel meeting, raised an eyebrow before making a snarky comment about it.

"My, my, let the boys alone for just a few hours and they have to resort to drinking to ease the pain of our absence, hehehe. Seriously, guys, don't you have any better things to do than sit together in the living room and get drunk?"

"Say, like having lunch with a guy who just tried to kill me, perhaps, Love?" Klaus asked quietly.

The room went silent again and although the question had sounded innocent enough, Caroline could almost feel the lethal anger radiating off Klaus.

"Klaus..."

"What have you been thinking, Care?" Stefan asked.

Caroline looked incredulously from one male vampire to the other.

"What? Stefan, you take Klaus' side? Don't you want to hear what I have to say first? You are _**my**_ friend! " She asked angrily. All happiness was gone and she could feel the anger rise in her.

"This has nothing to do with taking sides, Caroline. Remember, I have just arrived in New Orleans but from everything you guys have told me, I thought it is pretty self-explanatory that you should stay away from the guy. And that you should try and stay safe - and not meet with him, in his terrain, without any backup!" Stefan tried to keep Caroline calm. He knew her well enough - just as well as he knew Klaus, for that matter. It was better to not let the argument escalate, before the Original Hybrid would do anything they'd _all_ regret.

"I can't believe it! You, of all people, should know that I am not the dumb little blonde everyone is trying to make me! Of course I did not meet him without backup. Rebekah was there all the time. You remember Rebekah, lethal Original vampire? And I did not meet him in his terrain, we met at Rousseau's, where I happen to know and trust the waitress and where we stayed out in the open."

Klaus, who had kept surprisingly quiet those last few minutes had left his seat on the couch and had moved to stand near the fire place. Turning his back to the group, he asked with a quiet voice.

"Oh, so you know Monique?"

"Monique?" Caroline asked confused.

"Your waitress today. You just said you went to Rousseau's because you know and trust the waitress" Klaus asked.

"I meant Camille. She was not working today but I thought she would be working today and if she would have been there she'd have helped us - if we would have needed help. Which we didn't!"

Klaus turned around, a furious look on his face. " But you see Caroline, Monique was the one working today. Monique, who I have had compelled, under great effort I should add, to call me immediately if Marcel should show up at her workplace. Monique, who, what do you say, works for MARCEL!" Klaus shouted the last part.

"Well I couldn't know that, could I" Caroline shouted back.

"That's why I have forbidden you to venture out alone in Marcel territory! That's why you are supposed to tell me if he is making a move. That's why you cannot lie to me!"

"I have told you a million times that I am not a little girl needing protection all the time! And you cannot forbid me anything, Klaus!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, love," Klaus sneered at her with a grin. "If I tell you not to go see Marcel you will not go and see Marcel. _Is. That. Clear_." He looked at her dangerously.

The room was quiet besides the two shouting vampires. Without noticing themselves, they had moved to each other almost like magnets being drawn together. They stood facing each other in the middle of the room, Caroline with her hands raised in the air, gesturing wildly, Klaus with a lethal look on his face.

Before Caroline could shout back her reply to this, Rebekah was grabbing Caroline. She clamped a hand over the blonde's mouth and dragged her further away from her seething brother.

Caroline, stunned by the sudden interruption, closed her mouth and looked around the room. She had completely forgotten about the others, and now taking in Stefan's worried face, Rebekah's strong hold on her arm and seeing Hayley peeking into the room from the neighbouring dining room, she suddenly felt watched. And - embarrassed. Heat rushed to her face and she didn't know what to say. Rebekah, feeling the change in Caroline's behavior, drew a sigh of relief.

"Alright, now that you two have shouted at each other loud enough to be heard in the French Quarter, can we maybe move on to more important matters?" She said, with a slight smile on her face. She had warmed considerably for the young blonde vampire in the last few weeks but whenever she saw her standing her ground against her brother Niklaus, she felt almost - awe - for her.

"Nik, seriously, calm down. And let me finish" she said before he could interrupt her again. "Caroline, shut up - I am talking now."

Caroline who had opened her mouth to say something, closed it again.

"Caroline is right - she was in no danger. We have made the plan together and I have been there all the time. I have listened to the conversation and I had an eye on the surroundings. Besides, let's remember that it was you, Nik, and Elijah, who said that Marcel will not try anything with Caroline at the moment. You have let her go to the office and the pub before."

"She was never alone then, Elijah or I have watched over here." Klaus interrupted defensively.

"Oh please, brother, we all know I am just as good protection for Caroline as Elijah is. This is not about her going to the French Quarter today, this is about us not telling you. You are only angry because we have a plan cooking on our own where Caroline does not need you for - that's what you are shouting about. "

"You have no idea what you are talking about, sis" Klaus said. The anger to his voice had returned.

Stefan, sensing the returning anger, tried to interfere as well. "Klaus - look, Rebekah has a point here. I am 100% your opinion that Caroline should not venture out on her own but Rebekah is able to hold her ground. "

Rebekah smiled graciously at Stefan. She loved that he took her side, especially as he had clearly started out on Klaus' side just a few minutes ago. Stefan smiled back at her, before turning his attention to Caroline.

"But, Care - seriously, why did you not tell us? Or me, your best friend? You know I would never let anything happen to you, and as it seems, neither would Klaus. You really should have just told us, and we could have figured it out together. What were you doing meeting with Marcel - behind our back?"

With that, the attention of all three vampires turned towards Caroline. Her face flushed red again.

"Stef, you know I love you and I know you want to protect me but seriously, don't you understand that I have to do this myself? Marcel made a joke of _me_, he was trying to use _me_. I am sick of people using me and underestimating me. I told Elijah and I told Klaus - I want to help. And having an angry hybrid breathing down my neck while I am trying to flirt with Marcel is not really helping with that."

"That angry hybrid breathing down your neck is keeping you alive, love, and you better think well before explaining to us what you meant with _flirting _if you want to stay that way" Klaus said angrily.

Caroline threw her arms up exasperatedly. "God, Klaus, seriously? That's what you take away from what I just said? I am _helping_ you! I am not really flirting with Marcel, I never was, actually. But if he thinks he can lie constantly then so can I. Elijah and you said it yourselves - you don't know what his plans are and we need to find out. So, let me find out!"

"Absolutely not."

"Didn't you just say you are keeping me alive? And isn't Rebekah saying the same thing, and Elijah, and Stefan? You all claim to protect me and to keep an eye on me. So, seriously, what can be the harm of me talking to Marcel if an entire original family plus a 200 year old vampire are watching over me?"

"That's exactly the problem, love, we cannot watch over you if we don't know where you are now, can we?"

"So if I tell you the next time I meet with Marcel you will be able to watch over me and it will be safe for me to do so. So we have a deal?"

Rebekah laughed out loud. "Girlfriend, I think you just beat Nik with his own weapon - smart-assery, that is" She snickered.

Caroline smiled timidly, still keeping her gaze fixed on Klaus. The Original Hybrid had surprised her too often by now, she was never really able to foresee how he would react.

But to her relief, and to everyone else's in the room, Klaus showed a small smile.

"I know Marcel, Caroline. That means you will follow my advice, is that clear? And no more secrets, no more hiding, no more flower bouquets that I haven't bought myself. "

"That goes both ways, though. No more keeping me out of it?" Caroline asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Deal."

Seeing the huge smile forming on Caroline's face, he could not do anything else than smile as well. Seeing Caroline smile always made him smile in return - her face was just too lovely when it shone like this.

"Great. So now that you two have kissed and made up, can we finally move on to cocktails, Caroline?" Rebekah asked . Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed a few bottles from the liquor table and moved towards the kitchen, quickly followed by a vividly blushing Caroline.

Stefan looked incredulous after her. Did he just see her blush? He motioned towards the whiskey bottle still sitting on the liquor stand. "Shall we have another one then, Klaus?"

"Absolutely, mate." Klaus, suddenly in a fantastic mood, got up and re-filled their glasses with the amber liquid.

'Interesting,' Stefan thought to himself.

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_**What do you say? Let me know, review below? **_

_**I think it's time to get an insight into a few heads in the next chapter...**_

_**For those of you celebrating - Merry Christmas! **_


	20. The Salvatore's Insight

_**Hello and Happy New Year 2014! It took me a while but I'll try my best and update soon with a more action-filled chapter.**_

_**Thanks so much to everyone reading, following, favoriting, commenting - it's amazing!**_

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_**Stefan**_

Stefan and Klaus had stayed in the sitting room for most of the evening. At one point, Elijah had returned home from running his errands and the men had made a fire in the fireplace and sat in amiable silence. Stefan had been impressed by the well-stocked library in Klaus' study; of course, he should have expected it. After all, the Original Hybrid had time to collect literature ever since the word had been first printed.

Elijah and Klaus had not been surprised by the three girls Rebekah, Hayley and Caroline spending their time together in another room, and, judging from the giggling, watching some silly chick flicks. But Stefan had been astonished by it - what was going on here? Caroline hated Hayley; and Hayley had been jealous of Caroline ever since they had met. And now he could see his blonde friend really and honestly trying to be nice to the pregnant wolf.

Klaus had started drawing some drabbles in a sketchbook and Elijah was reading in a very old and very rare looking leather-bound book. Stefan, tumbler in hand, was hanging after his thoughts, while watching Klaus drawing with drawn eyebrows.

Stefan knew of course that Klaus liked Caroline; Caroline had told him everything from their conversation at the Mikaelson ball to Klaus endangering and saving Caroline's life while he was on the island and, of course, the events at graduation. He had seen with his own eyes how Klaus had come to rescue Caroline from the undead witches; he had heard story after story how Klaus had forgiven Caroline's involvement in just another scheme planned against the Original.

Caroline was one of his best friends, the best friend he ever had since Lexi, if he was honest. And he loved her, he trusted her, and he thought that she was one of the most amazing vampires he had ever met. Brave, determined, and holding herself together through all the terrible times they have had. Nevertheless, he was...in awe, seeing now just how deep Klaus' affections for Caroline seemed to run. As much as he loved his friend he was deeply impressed that the Original Vampire, a 1000 year old hybrid who had seen the world, fought and won wars, and had met anyone from queens to tyrants to celebrities from all centuries, that the most powerful creature on earth had fallen for _her_, of all people. For his best friend. And without her doing anything for it.

But as impressive as it seemed, just as dangerous he found it to be. Klaus was a force always to be reckoned with. Klaus was impulsive, unstable to the core. He never had to consider the consequences of his actions since there had never been anyone really being a threat to him - apart from his own family and his father. He had staked, killed, betrayed and daggered his way through times. What would happen if he'd grew tired of Caroline's rejection?

Or, worse even, what was going to happen if Caroline stopped rejecting him?

Deep down, Stefan knew that this was a possibility. Hell, it was probably partly his fault. Damon, Elena, Bonnie - and himself: they all had used Caroline time and time again as Klaus distraction. And while spending time with Klaus, she had gotten to see more facets of him than anyone else in their group. She had seen him do terrible things but she had also been at the receiving end of his rare acts of humanity and genuine concern. He had showered her in gifts, he had expressed his feelings to her in a way Tyler or any other teenage boy would never have had the guts to do.

Caroline had hinted at it, the night they had met in the boarding house, the night Klaus slayered his 12 hybrids. She had felt regret for not telling him, for not warning Klaus. And she had let it show to Stefan that she had developed an understanding for Klaus, that she was not just seeing the all bad hybrid anymore, that she saw through his mask and that she could make out motives, fears and loneliness behind it.

Just as innocent it all had seemed the past few months; Klaus fancying Caroline, Caroline seeming to develop friendly feelings for Klaus - never had he expected to witness a scene like the one earlier today.

The energy, the pure raw attraction between those two: they had looked so much like lovers quarreling. Something had happened since Caroline had arrived in New Orleans. There was a trust between them, an understanding that he hadn't seen coming.

But the worst part about it? Stefan did not know how he should feel about it. The natural reaction, the reaction Bonnie, Elena and Damon would show, was to condemn it, to warn Caroline of the developments and to drag her, by her hair, if necessary, away from Klaus and New Orleans. The events of their last two years called for this: Aunt Jenna, the ritual where Klaus killed Elena, the Hybrids, Tyler's mother, the terror and deception : those were all arguments to make Caroline run.

Instead, Stefan had arrived in New Orleans two days ago, and he had not done such thing, he had not dragged Caroline away. And the reason, he wondered, may be pure selfishness. He enjoyed being here. He enjoyed spending time not alone for once. He did remember the times in the 20s and yes, he had been ripper-Stefan then but that didn't mean that he was not remembering how good it had felt to have a friend - and a lover. He had enjoyed spending time with Klaus and he had really fancied Rebekah. Elena was with Damon. Damon was with Elena. Lexi was dead. Katherine - well, she had betrayed him long enough and she was not stable, no matter if human or vampire. Why should he not enjoy himself? Was it so bad to want to stay in New Orleans for a while? Elijah was an honorable man, and as many negative traits Klaus had, betrayal was not one of them. If Klaus wanted something, he was going for it - to hell with consequences. If he wanted to kill you, he just killed you. As easy as that. He had no need for elaborate plans and lies. Klaus never tried to hide the 'monster' he was.

And Rebekah. Yes, Rebekah. Stefan liked her. He always had. He had enjoyed her company in the 20s and he had never planned on hurting her, it had been a side effect of Klaus compelling him and Rebekah being daggered, really. And in Mystic Falls? Well, there had been Elena, and Elena always had been his first priority. He would have betrayed his family, his best friends for Elena. Things had changed though. He missed her. But he did not love her anymore. Elena had changed, and she had chosen his brother. And it was time for him to move on.

Why not move on in New Orleans?

He had been surprised by Rebekah and Caroline developing a friendship but he liked it, he really did. This was good for Caroline - having a friend outside of her usual circle, a friend who had a lot in common with her. Both of them were strong and brave, and both of them fought against feeling inadequate. Both of them would die for their friends and families, risking everything to keep the loved ones safe. And both of them really just looked for love, wanted to feel loved and being 'enough' for someone, being the first choice for themselves. Not because of an overpowering brother and not because the best friend was already taken.

'I guess I am staying in New Orleans then,' Stefan thought to himself, finishing his whiskey. 'Live a little, Stefan Salvatore.'

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Taking advantage again of her new desk-based job, Caroline decided to stay at the plantation on Thursday. Most of the day she spent working from the library, only interrupting her work to text Marcel that she'd love to come for the show in the evening. Yes, 'love to come'. Her words. They agreed to meet at Ruby's and after texting Sandy as well, Caroline actually was looking forward to it. She missed her newest friend - Sandy was fun to hang out with and with all the vampire drama going on, she had blatantly overlooked her. They texted back and forth a bit, Sandy swooning over Thierry and how attentive he had been the last few days.

'Maybe it is time I talk to Sandy about that, or at least, I should probably get her some vervaine or something', Caroline thought to herself.

In the early evening, she locked herself in her room, tending to her makeup and hair, and picking out a nice dress and red heels for the night. It was eerily quiet in the house; Stefan had taken pity on Hayley and had driven her to a close-by mall for some shopping. Being pregnant with Klaus' child apparently was not enough to earn you the attention of any Original Family member. Elijah, of course, was as nice and considerate as he always was but Klaus hardly seemed to notice Hayley most of the time. Rebekah and Hayley had gotten on well enough but with Caroline arriving at the house, Rebekah seemed to prefer her company to the wolf.

Rebekah had left the house around lunch time to visit a friend, she had said, and Elijah and Klaus were out on their usual errands. Rebekah had agreed with Caroline to be back at the house by 6pm since she was on Caroline-Watch duty. It had taken them quite some effort to convince Klaus that he should not be the one keeping an eye on Caroline. He had made clear thought that, should anything go wrong at all, he would not let her venture out alone for the rest of times. And Rebekah had to endure a number of threats as to what would happen if she'd forget to call him immediately should something unexpected happen.

Getting ready for the night, Caroline was nervous but also determined, She knew she had backup and she felt safe with Rebekah staying close-by. The Original vampire had saved her before from Marcel's followers, and Klaus had made it clear that he was only a phone call away as well. She knew she could do this. She had deceived Klaus several times and why should she not be able to deceive Marcel as well?

They had decided to travel into town with separate cars - any suspicion on Marcel's side could be lethal for Caroline, after all. Putting on some dance music, Caroline sped towards Ruby's.

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The night was great fun, surprisingly enough. Marcel, Thierry and Sandy were already there, sitting in a corner booth in the packed bar. They had a few bottles of wine on the table and a large platter of appetizers to share. All three smiled when Caroline came into the bar and Sandy got up to meet her friend half-way.

The music was amazing, Marcel had been right. There were several jazz artists and a few jazz combos, all playing 5 songs each before a short break and the next group. At the end of the night, the artist with the loudest applause would win a full gig on the much busier weekends at Ruby's. Caroline enjoyed the music and as much as she despised Marcel, she had to admit that it was fun to hang out with them and to play him. She flirted much more than she ever had thought she would, laughing to herself about how easily men were to deceive.

Marcel complimented her every few minutes and Thierry told at least 5 stories in which Marcel clearly was the hero of the poor, shy and deprived. Caroline had to do her best not to roll her eyes on so much theatrics.

Sandy, most of the time clinging to Thierry, dragged Caroline to the dance floor later in the evening and complained, half-drunk, that she missed her friend and the gossip chats they have had. Returning to the table, they agreed to meet over the weekend for a girls' night and Caroline made sure to mention loud enough that she was planning on moving back to the guest house this weekend anyway, so why would they not have a pajama party in her room then? Naturally, she was not planning on moving back to the guest house but Marcel did not need to know this now, did he? You have to be bold on the battle field, if you want to win. Marcel clearly seemed very smug about her moving plans.

At the end of the night, Marcel walked her to her car, leaning in to give her a peck on the cheek. Caroline, feeling bold, returned the goodbye with a quick kiss on his lips. Marcel seemed surprised but he immediately smiled and wished her a good night, promising to call her over the weekend. Caroline, smiling timidly, waved goodbye before pulling out of the parking spot and making her way to the plantation.

'Caroline - Marcel, 1:0. Take that, you idiot," she thought to herself. 'Now, who is the naive one, he?'

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_**What do you think? We'll make an excursion to Marcel in the next chapter!**_


	21. The wolf in the henhouse

_**Apologies for making you wait so long but I seriously hope this chapter makes it up to you. Yes, it is THAT chapter. *wink wink wink*  
**_

_**It took me ages to write and I really hope you find it any good.**_

_**Let me know?**_

_**A massive thanks and lots of virtual flowers and chocolates to everyone following, favoriting and of course, reviewing the story. Every time I get one of those notification emails it is a huge incentive to write the next chapter.**_

**At Abattoir's**

Marcel and Thierry went back to Abattoir's after the night out with Sandy and Caroline. After all, it was Marcel's club and his home and he needed to check in to see what he had missed that night. Marcel was in a good mood and once they arrived at the parlor on the first floor, Thierry found out why.

"I believe that went rather well, no? I think Caroline really likes me; she seemed very apologetic about the other night. It doesn't make her the sharpest tool in the box but hey, it serves my purposes right? " He laughed. "And after all, I don't mind a little fling, she is actually kind of my type." After a short pause, Marcel continued with a twinkle in his eyes. "And I really do not understand why you are constantly moaning about Sandy - you could have done worse. And once the plan is set in motion you can cut her off and never speak to her again. Or drink her. Up to you."

Thierry looked pissed. "Not to cut in on your good mood but I do not share your optimism about Caroline. I got a call from Leon; he saw Rebekah lurking around the bar. And not just for a minute but the entire night. That makes it the second time for her to stay in the background when you are meeting Caroline since 'that night'. I think she is faking it; she is still living with the Mikaelsons after all. And I am not constantly moaning about Sandy. But you know my heart is elsewhere - it is not as easy as it looks to fake-kiss."

Marcel's mood immediately turned towards anger. He sat up straight, looking intently at Thierry. "Rebekah was there again?" He paused, considering what he had just found out. "You may be right. Maybe she is faking it, maybe she turned the tables around. She must be a hell of an actress though - if not for Rebekah playing bodyguard, I would believe her. Let's find out if Rebekah's been there by coincidence. And god be with Caroline if she is playing me."

Thierry got up, clearly awaiting instructions what to do next. "What do you want me to do? Shall I pay her a little visit?"

"No. If she is not playing us then this would completely ruin our chances for the plan to work. Why don't we...skip ahead a little in the timetable and let's see who she really trusts. Caroline did her best to make me believe she cannot stand Klaus and she does not trust him - let's see if she is lying. And if she is lying - well, then I don't need her for my plans anyway."

"Give Sandy a call, Thierry. I think it's time for her to meet up with you at your place."

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**A lesson in art**

Caroline had been giddy when she returned to the house, waiting for Rebekah to catch up with her in the sitting room. She was surprised not to find it occupied by Klaus already; she had been convinced that he would be waiting for her to report back. She ignored the disappointment she thought she could make out in her feelings and instead helped herself to a blood bag from the fridge. She had no idea who did the 'shopping' but clearly, Klaus had made sure to mention her favorite blood type to that person.

"Girl, that went well, don't you think?" Rebekah burst into the sitting room, same smug look on her face as Caroline assumed she had. "And Marcel has been on fire - damn, he actually charmed _me_ while I was listening in!"

"Yeah, I thought it went well. And it wasn't so bad in the end, I actually had fun. I missed hanging with Sandy but seriously, she is really falling hard for Thierry. Did you listen in to them sometimes? I think I have to tell her _something_. She needs to be cautious. I am not sure what he is playing at with her but she seems to have only eyes for him."

"Mh, really? No I didn't really pay attention to them, I had too much fun listening in to Marcel. And you are quite the actress my dear, I believed you the swooning schoolgirl act." Rebekah laughed.

"But yeah, we may have to warn her. I like her, she was the one inviting me to the Sunday pub nights. But she is too trusting. Clearly, since _she_ invited _me_ to the Sunday pub nights..." Rebekah smirked.

"Anyway, well, meet up with her and tell her you've seen Thierry with someone else, or something?"

"That's not a bad idea. But she may end up asking him about it and then Marcel will be suspicious. I see her on Saturday; we agreed to have a pajama party at the Guesthouse."

"At the Guesthouse? Why not here?"

"Ah, you see - I thought about it. Marcel will not believe me that I am scared of Klaus and you guys and that I am into _him_ if I keep living here, no? Elijah told me how Klaus faked staying at a hotel when he was already staying here. So why don't I do the same thing? Sandy, Thierry and Marcel will believe I am moving back to the Guesthouse on Saturday but in reality, I stay here. That means the pajama party has to happen at the Guesthouse. It's better for Sandy anyway, she has seen Klaus before when I met him that first night at Abattoir so I am not sure how it would look to her if she finds out I am living with him."

"You are not living with Nik, you are just staying at the same house. That's a difference. And we could just ban him from the house for the night, if you ask, he may actually do it. I am not sure how you want to convince Nik to let you stay at the Guesthouse for the weekend. I mean, come on, it's my brother. He seriously has issues when it comes to you. " Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"I'm not really moving to the Guesthouse for the weekend. I am just faking it. And it's a girl's night with a human girl, what should happen, seriously. As soon as Sandy leaves I will come back here. And then I just need to make sure to make a few appearances whenever Sandy is working - and possibly compel the cleaning staff so they don't rat me out if the room's never used. And that's it, perfect plan."

"You may be right. If you are back on Sunday morning, Nik may actually agree to it. We are helping him with his plan to take over the city, after all." Rebekah, getting up, pauses. "You want a cocktail? I need something strong now."

"Thanks but I think I am heading to bed. I am quite tired and I wanted to go to the office tomorrow; there is a Friday meeting that I want to attend."

"Alright, good night, Caroline. "

Rebekah headed towards the liquor cabinet and Caroline walked back to the main foyer to go up the stairs. She paused on the first floor but could not hear anything from Stefan. Maybe he was out hunting in the woods, he preferred doing it at night. When she reached her floor she saw light coming from the room opposite hers and the door was slightly ajar. Without thinking about it, Caroline stepped nearer to the door and peeked through the gap. She had expected another bedroom, since Klaus had mentioned he was staying on the other side of her room. But instead, she saw a large empty space, an atelier as it seems, with wooden floors and only a few furniture scattered across the room. There was an easel in the middle of the room, Klaus standing in front of it, brush in his hand. To his right was an open fireplace and two leather Chesterfield and two armchairs. On the left, Caroline imagined seeing another door leading to the attached room. 'The bedroom, probably.'

Klaus seemed deep in thoughts. He didn't move a muscle although as a vampire, he must have heard her coming up the stairs. Caroline contemplated stepping inside but then again, she didn't want to disturb him. Looking at the painting for the first time, she forgot all her reservations and pushed the door open.

"Is that me?"

Klaus let the brush sink, slowly turning around. Seeing Caroline standing in the door, he smirked at her. "It does speak for my skills that you have recognized it so early in the work."

Caroline moved closer, stopping in front of the painting. He was right, the painting was far from completed, it was a mass of dark lines where her face was, and her eyes and mouth. But still, she could recognize herself and, although she would rather die - again - than admitting this to Klaus: damn, it was good.

"Why should it not be you, Caroline; your face is too perfect not to be eternalized on a canvas."

Caroline blushed, trying to avert Klaus' eyes.

Klaus caught up on her embarrassment and he dropped the subject. Putting the brush carefully on the board of the easel, he turned to Caroline. "How was your night out? Did you enjoy seeing your friend Sandrine?"

"Yes, it was good. The music was good as well, actually. And before you even ask, I was never in any danger, Rebekah was nearby all evening."

"I did not plan on asking. If I'd expected danger I would have not let you go." Klaus said bluntly.

Caroline let her gaze drift through the room. She saw lots of canvases lean along the walls, blank and painted ones. The door leading to the next room was left open and she could make out light in the other room and something looking like the shape of a large bed.

"Seems like you painted a lot since you came here. What are you doing with all of them?"

"Not all of them are new. I keep most of my paintings in storage and when I move somewhere new I unpack a box or two. Some of the paintings in this room are more than 400 years old. And not all of them are mine either, Caroline."

"So you are collecting as well?"

Klaus was surprised by Caroline's sudden interest in his hobbies. She did not see the joy this revelation gave him on his face though. Caroline wandered slowly through the room, stopping at a painting here and there and looking through a stack of them leaning against the wall.

"I would not call it collecting, love. From time to time there are paintings that are inspiring to me, or that signify something important in my own life. Then I'll keep them, at least for a while. And you must remember that I am a thousand years old - I have known many artists in those 10 centuries - so of course, there are gifted paintings as well in my possession." Klaus paused, following Caroline with his eyes. "Do you like art, Caroline?"

Caroline looked up from the stack of paintings she had been looking through, meeting Klaus' eyes. "I don't know much about art, actually. I took classes in high school and we learned a lot about different styles and eras. But since I've never been anywhere outside of Mystic Falls I haven't really seen much art."

Caroline blushed slightly. She never had a problem with not being well-travelled before but ever since Klaus had said those things to her at the 'roaring 20s' ball she felt uncomfortable admitting that she had almost zero travel and life experience. He was a thousand years old, he had travelled the world multiple times, probably. She hated feeling stupid. Caroline decided to change the topic away from her again.

"If you have known so many artists, do you have any favorites?"

Klaus laughed. It was a nice laugh, Caroline thought, it seemed careless and very relaxed. Not something she would usually expect from Klaus.

"There are many painters that would deserve to be on a list of favorites, believe me. And there is probably at least one in every era that I have admired more than others. " Klaus paused, obviously giving the question some serious thought. "Well, I think I do have a favorite. There was an English painter, he lived and painted in the first half of the 19th century. I always loved his work. He painted beautiful landscapes in oil and he became most famous for his watercolors, funnily enough." Klaus smiled, reminiscing those long gone days. "He had real talent. His landscapes perfectly captured reality and many of his paintings were far ahead of their time. I wish I could show you a few of his works but all paintings I have from him are in my country house in Cornwall. I think you would enjoy his work."

"What is his name, maybe I have heard of him, if he was famous?" Caroline asked.

"J.M.W. Turner - or Joseph Turner, in short. But I'm afraid, his fame is mostly recognized in the old world." Klaus smiled.

"I would have known Picasso, or Rembrandt. But I haven't heard of any Turner." Caroline smiled.

"I'll see if I can get one or two of his paintings through an art dealer here in the US, then I'll show you."

Caroline nodded. She had finished her tour through Klaus' studio and was near the door to the hallway again. She realized that she had been quite a while in the studio already. Why had she come in again?

"I should let you get on with it again. I didn't want to disturb you, I was on my way to bed, actually."

"You did not disturb me, Caroline. I am glad you came in. Do you need anything before you go to bed?"

"No, thanks. Or wait, there is one thing - I have arranged with Sandy to have a girls' night, with DVDs and stuff. But we'll be having it at the Guesthouse, on Saturday. I had the feeling it would sit better with my overall story. I mean, I am not really moving back there, I am just stopping by for a few hours and then come back Sunday morning..." Caroline trailed off. She could not read Klaus' expression on his face. He was listening to her but she had no idea what he was thinking.

"Will you need anything for the party? Shall I ask one of the chefs to prepare something for it?"

Caroline looked perplexed. Was that all? "No, no, thanks. So...you are okay with it?"

Klaus looked at her calmly. "I trust you, Caroline. If you say this is a night with your friend and you will be out for a few hours and then back, then why should I not be okay with it. I have agreed to tonight, haven't I?"

Caroline blushed. She had expected some kind of fight, or at least a need for a lot more explaining. Again, she was aware of how much the situation with Klaus had changed. Here she was, standing in his art studio, in the middle of the night, alone - in his house. Talking calmly about her living at his place. She trusted him too, she realized.

"Right. Well, thanks. I think. For the trust. Or the place to stay. " Caroline was babbling. She blushed even more. Quickly, she turned towards the door, almost hurrying towards it.

"I should go now, really. Good night."

"Good night, love."

Within a flash, she was in her room on the other side of the hallway, leaning against the door.

'Weird', she thought.

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**The pajama party**

Friday came and went rather uneventful. Caroline enjoyed spending a day at the office and she got a lot of work done. Mostly she was doing research now, and writing up instructions for the different project teams. But although this was much more boring than going out and meeting the different clubs and carnival organizations she did learn a lot and she did not regret staying in New Orleans for it.

Sandy texted her a few times, suggesting some movies they could rent. Caroline was looking forward to the night with her friend and she packed a bag with her essentials -and a few pieces as mockup in the Guesthouse room for the weekend. Rebekah took her to the mall on Saturday morning where they rented a stack of DVDs and bought wine and snacks in all varieties. Sandy had texted that she would bring pizza since she was passing a few shops on her way to the Guesthouse.

Late afternoon on Saturday, Rebekah dropped Caroline off at the Guesthouse. They unloaded the party necessities and Caroline's stuff to prepare her room to look 'lived in'. Their next stop was then to catch the cleaning staff and the reception staff at a quiet moment to make sure they only remembered Caroline staying at the Guesthouse _every day_ from now on.

It had been her idea and Caroline was proud that she had thought of it. It made her life much easier - should Sandy ask any of her colleagues then they'd tell her that Caroline was staying at the Guesthouse and that she had just missed her.

Sandy arrived at 8pm sharp, pizza in one hand, a bottle with a colorful liquid in the other hand. She beamed at Caroline, clearly as excited about the girls' night as she was.

"Hello girlfriend - it's party time! I hope you like your pizza with everything - I couldn't decide so I just let them throw on it whatever they had!" Sandy laughed. "And - I got a special aperitif for us as well, courtesy of L'Abattoir, the best club in town."

"Come in! Pizza is always good - no matter what is on it. I bought wine - red and white. Shall we start with that first?"

"Oh no, no no no, I promised Thierry we would try the drink. You see, apparently it's this new super cocktail they gonna start serving next month. And we are the first ones to try it. And I promised we would try and I would text him how we like it. And if anything is missing."

"Huh. Okay. Well, I never say no to cocktails. But no texting Thierry - we agreed on a girl's night, no boys allowed, not in person and not virtual!"

"I must text him. I promised him."

Caroline laughed. Sandy looked dead serious, almost scared of the prospect of not being able to text Thierry. "I am sure he'll survive if you tell him tomorrow, no? Come on, get comfy, and let's decide on the first movie. Maybe a classic? Breakfast club? or Sweet Sixteen?"

Sandy threw off her shoes and walked to Caroline's little sideboard, where she had put on the snacks and bottles and glasses. Grabbing two glasses she filled them to the brink with the greenish liquid from her bottle.

"First - here is your cocktail. Seriously, I promised we would try."

Caroline looked slightly worried by how obsessed her friend seemed. Taking a glass she watched Sandy down her glass in one go.

"I have no idea why it's green but it tastes a lot like peach. Like Bellini, maybe," Sandy said.

Caroline sipped from her glass. 'Not bad', she thought. 'But if that is supposed to be a new and funky cocktail then they really have to keep trying'.

"So, you did see Thierry then, yesterday?" Caroline asked.

"No, he had to work. Why?"

"I thought maybe because he gave you the bottle."

"Oh no, he gave that to me on Thursday. He called me after our night out and I went by his place for a goodnight-drink. And then he mixed me that bottle and I promised to bring it tonight and that we would try and tell him what is missing. To be honest, I think it's missing a lot - it's a bit boring, no? Do you mind if I tell him that you said its boring? I don't want to hurt his feelings, you know? Because he mixed it?"

Caroline laughed out loud. "Sure, tell him I said that. And actually, I do say it - it's a bit boring. Here, I am done. But I think I'll rather continue with wine, I'm not the biggest fan of peach."

Sandy laughed, getting out her phone to text Thierry.

Caroline dropped the empty glasses on the sideboard, returning with the wine and a box of pizza.

"He called you Thursday after our night out?"

"Yes"

"So... how was it? I mean, you went to his place...what happened?" Caroline raised her eyebrows slyly.

"Oh, well, we had a drink. And he told me about the cocktail."

"And what else?"

"I don't know. Nothing really, I think. I don't really remember. I remember he called me but with all the wine we had that evening I don't remember much else."

Caroline looked alarmed. "But he did not ...hurt you, right? Or force you to anything?"

Sandy looked at her friend, first shocked, then bursting out with laughter. "Forcing me? God, that was good, Caroline! I basically had to throw myself at him the first few dates, don't you remember? He will not need to force me to anything, believe me. But no, sadly enough - we did _not do_ anything where he _could_ hurt me, if you know what I mean. " Grabbing a slice of pizza, Sandy thumbed through the DVDs. "Oooooh, can we start with Pretty Woman? I love that movie!"

The girls started watching the movie, munching on the pizza and snacks and constantly chatting. They both had seen the movie hundreds of times, a bit of a chat would not distract them.

Caroline felt hot and she got up to open the balcony doors. She wavered slightly on her feet and she suddenly felt nauseous. 'What the...I only had a few sips of wine so far, there's no way that'll have an effect on me already.'

Returning to the bed, she felt herself starting to sweat.

"Caroline, are you okay? You are really pale and I think you are staggering. Did you start drinking without me, or what?" Sandy looked worried.

"No, I didn't. I only had a few sips of wine, and the peach stuff earlier. But I have a really high tolerance, I cannot be drunk from this. I feel...weird. My skin hurts and my vision is a bit blurry."

Sandy paused the movie, looking at her friend. "Do you want to lie down?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think I will lie down a bit. But we can keep the movie on, seriously, I am sure it's over in a second..." Caroline swayed, sitting on her bed. She felt as if she had felt like this before but she could not remember when or why.

"I think I should call Thierry. You really do not look good."

"It's alright, I will feel better in a second. And Thierry is not a doctor, is he? So I think he'd be no help anyway."

"No, he is not a doctor but he told me to call him immediately should I need anything tonight. So I should call him. He said he'd be with Marcel all evening. "

"There's no need to call Thierry, really, Sandy. If I don't feel better in a little bit then I can always call Rebekah to get something for a pharmacist or something."

"I have to call Thierry, Caroline, he said I should call only him."

Caroline looked confused at her friend. She felt dizzy and really weak but there was no mistaking - Sandy was becoming hysteric.

"Sandy, calm down. And put your phone away. What's going on with you? Why are you so obsessed with calling Thierry?" Caroline grabbed the phone from her friend.

Sandy was crying now, walking around in the room and replying loudly with a high-pitched voice. "He told me to call him if I need anything. I must call him. Give me my phone!"

Caroline was hurting from head to toe now, her skin felt as if something was crawling around underneath and she felt like she had 120 degrees. She got scared. Why was Sandy acting so weird? It was as if she had been compelled, no question, but why would Thierry compel her to _call him_? This did not make any sense.

Out of nowhere, Sandy started yelling loudly. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Caroline snapped her eyes open. Klaus was leaning over her, his hand on her forehead.

"How did you...?"

"The balcony. I was in the area and heard your argument."

Sandy had stopped yelling but was staring shocked at Klaus. "How did he, how did he...where did he come from? Oh my god, he just appeared out of thin air..." Sandy gasped.

Klaus, looking intently at Caroline and feeling her pulse, rolled his eyes. He flashed to where Sandy was leaning, pinning her against the wall. "You will stop screaming now. In fact, you will stop talking altogether until I tell you otherwise."

Sandy closed her mouth, not a further word coming out of it.

Klaus looked around the room and grabbed the bottle with the greenish liquid, standing on the sideboard. He sniffed at it and looked curiously at Caroline. "Caroline, where did you get this?"

"It's Sandy's. Apparently, it's a new cocktail they want to serve at Abattoirs and Thierry wanted us to try it first, for feedback. It's not that great though."

"You did not taste anything?"

"Lots of peach, why?"

"It smells of wolf."

Caroline gasped. Wolf. Venom. That's where she knew the sick feeling from. She had werewolf venom in her system. Shit.

"What? But... Sandy got it from Thierry and... it doesn't make sense, why..."

Klaus didn't let her finish. Within a second he was at her side again, biting down hard on his wrist. Offering her his arm, he sat down next to her on the bed. "I'll make sure to ask your friend about it. But first you have to drink. You seemed to have gotten quite the dose, you really look not well. I guess you could not smell it because you are not a wolf. Werewolf venom is hidden rather well in drinks, I must say."

Caroline looked at the two blood drops forming on Klaus' wrist. Taking his wrist to her mouth, she closed her eyes. 'Werewolf venom. What if Klaus wouldn't have been lurking outside? I would die now.'

Shuddering, Caroline kept drinking for a few more seconds, before dropping Klaus' arm. "Thanks," she said with a small voice. She felt exhausted.

Klaus had flashed over to Sandy already, leaning in on her again.

"Why did you give Caroline werewolf venom to drink?" he compelled her.

"It is a new cocktail. The cocktail will be served for the first time next month but because we are trustworthy we got to try it first. And we have to try it first before we disturb our taste buds with something else. And I have to give feedback on how we like it."

"Who gave you the cocktail?"

"Thierry."

"What else did he want you do tonight?"

"Nothing. Thierry said I should have a great night and he hopes we have fun. And if we need anything at all I should call him. He will be with Marcel and he will be there immediately. I must call him, Caroline is not feeling well so I must call him."

"He compelled her, didn't he?" Caroline asked quietly. She felt better, her dizziness subsided but she was feeling very weak. The situation started to dawn on her. Her friend had been compelled. She had put her friend in danger by playing these games, hadn't she?

Klaus looked very angry and for a second, Caroline was scared he would hurt Sandy. But the hybrid surprised her.

"Sandrine, look at me. You did well. You brought the cocktail and you and your friend Caroline drank the whole bottle. And you liked it, although it tasted a lot of peach and you do not like peach. Neither does Caroline. But nothing happened. You got very tired and you wanted to go to bed. So you said goodbye to your friend and you went home. You will go home now, Sandrine, and you never saw me here. It was only Caroline and yourself. You had a great night but now you will go."

Sandy blinked. Yawning, she grabbed her coat off the chair where she had thrown it. Waving at Caroline, she turned towards the door. "I am so tired Caroline, I think I will head home. We should do this another time again though, I had a great night."

With that, she turned and was out the door. Klaus stared at the closed door for a few seconds before turning around to Caroline again. The anger had returned to his face.

"We are leaving. Before any more surprises surface."

Before Caroline could even reply, Klaus had swooped her up in his arms and was out the door. His car was a few blocks away, hidden in a five storey car park.

"You heard me from here?" Caroline asked surprised.

"No. I was outside your house, enjoying an evening stroll."

"Oh."

They didn't say anything else. Klaus drove (too fast) to the plantation and Caroline closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. She was exhausted, although it was not even 10pm yet. Her whole body still hurt but the fever was gone.

'I will never again say anything against Klaus lurking around in the shadows, when I am out in New Orleans,' she thought groggily.

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Sometime during the drive Caroline had drifted off to sleep and she did not wake when they arrived at the plantation. Klaus must have carried her in because when Caroline woke again, she was resting on one of the chesterfield couches in Klaus' studio. On the floor besides here was a decanter with blood and two glasses. Klaus was sitting in one of the armchairs across from her, book in his lap but staring into the fire in the fireplace, deep in thoughts.

"Have I been asleep for long?" Caroline asked.

Klaus turned his gaze towards her, watching her. "Maybe an hour. It's past 11 now. You were exhausted, it's quite normal after being poisoned. Have some blood, it will make you feel better."

Caroline grabbed the glass, but only took a sip. She watched Klaus staring at her.

"It doesn't make any sense, does it? The werewolf venom? The cocktail? Why would Thierry want me to drink werewolf venom? He knows it's deadly, he knows only you have the cure. So if only you have the cure, why would he want Sandy to call him instead of you? And why would Marcel work so hard convincing me to trust him and then he would poison me?"

"I don't think he wanted to poison you. I have been thinking about it since we got back and I believe it has been a test. Marcel may have not believed you as much as you thought he did, when you met him the last two times. You could have let Sandy call Thierry, and then put your fate in Marcel's hands. Either he would beg me to help you - or he would not. I'd say it's clear that you have failed that test miserably."

"What, why?"

"I wasn't supposed to be there, now, was I? And you are not supposed to trust me enough to call me for help. So you being alive, without calling Marcel first, means you failed his test."

"Oh."

They returned to silence. Klaus turned his gaze back to the fire and Caroline took another sip from the blood, sneaking a look at Klaus here and then. He didn't seem angry anymore, just deep in thoughts.

"What are you thinking about now?"

"I was thinking about the werewolf venom, love. Marcel doesn't like werewolves, he was the main force behind wiping out the werewolf population in the area. So this wolf must be the one he was talking about with Thierry, when you listened to their conversation. The one they caught. But as you just said, I am the only one they cannot threat with a werewolf. Why is there a werewolf in play?"

Before Caroline could reply to this, they heard commotion in the house.

"Nik?" Caroline could hear Rebekah come up the stairs. "Is Caroline with you?"

"We are in the studio, sis." Klaus murmured. He turned his eyes to the door just in time to see the blonde Original come in, followed by Stefan.

'Huh. They must have been out together', Caroline thought. 'Interesting.'

"Care, how are you?" Stefan asked. They both said down on the other Chesterfield, looking intently at Caroline.

"Fine, I'm fine. How do you know about it though?"

"Know about what?" Stefan asked confused.

"The venom?"

"Venom?"

Everybody looked confused now. Caroline, because apparently both Rebekah and Stefan had been worried about her without actually knowing that something had happened, and Rebekah and Stefan because they had not heard about the werewolf venom yet.

"Thierry compelled Sandy to give Caroline werewolf venom to drink, I gave her my blood, we came here so she could get some rest." Klaus summarized with a bored tone in his voice.

"So you killed Sandy?" Rebekah asked incredulous. "Despite knowing she was compelled?"

Caroline thought she could see a hint of hurt on Klaus' face. But it was gone so quickly, she was not sure. "I did not kill Sandy - of course I knew she was compelled. I compelled her to forget and sent her home."

"Then Thierry killed Sandy?" Rebekah asked, looking at Caroline now.

Caroline was still confused. "Nobody killed Sandy, she brought a bottle with a cocktail, or so she thought, we drank it, it was poisoned, she freaked out and Klaus compelled her. And then she said goodbye and went home. And we came here. Thierry and Marcel don't know anything yet."

Klaus looked at her pitying. "Love, I don't think that's what Rebekah meant. "

"Huh?"

Stefan cleared his throat. "Care, look... Rebekah and I were out for a drink and when we drove back along the alley to the plantation, we saw Sandy."

He paused, putting his hand on hers.

"She's dead, Care."

Caroline looked from one vampire to another. "What?"

"Somebody snapped her neck, Caroline, and since it wasn't my brother I guess it must have been Thierry. They probably know that something went against their plan and they must have found out that Sandy was compelled. And since she was pretty much dropped on our doorstep they must know you are here..." Rebekah said.

Caroline felt numb. This could not be happening. Sandy was dead. Her friend Sandy, who never had anything to do with vampires before she arrived in town. Who wouldn't have been compelled if it weren't for her. Who wouldn't be dead if it weren't for her.

Caroline started sobbing, quickly turning into a quivering mess. "This is my fault..." she sniffed. Stefan looked at Rebekah worryingly.

"This is not your fault, Care, you didn't do anything. This is all Thiery's and Marcel's fault. They are the ones who compelled her first and who made her do things she didn't want to do. They are the ones who killed her."

"It is all because of me. She died because she was my friend. The only reason they killed her was to hurt me, because I failed their test, because I ..." Caroline sobbed.

She felt a hand on her hair, combing through it strand by strand. Only when he started murmuring did she realize that it was Klaus' hand.

"It is not your fault, Love. You couldn't know this would happen. She was compelled, she had forgotten, there was no reason to kill her. They only killed her because they wanted to and that is not your fault. "

Caroline kept crying for quite a while before her tears stopped flowing like a stream and she only sniffed a bit. She felt exhausted, even more than when she had been poisoned a few hours ago. Everything was numb inside of her, and her thoughts only circled around Sandy and how her friend had been in such hysterics about calling Thierry. Had this really only been a few hours ago?

"You need to get some rest, Care. You will see, everything looks less bleak tomorrow." Stefan was still sitting on the other Chesterfield and Caroline realized that she was snuggled against Klaus' shoulder. There was a large wet stain on his shirt witness to her tears.

"Rebekah is heating you some milk, that will help you sleep?" Stefan kept talking.

"I don't want milk, thanks. I want to turn back time. I wish I would have never come to New Orleans. Sandy would be still alive if I would have just stayed at Whitmore College. I wish I could just forget everything..." Caroline sobbed again.

She felt herself being picked up. Peeking through her tears, she saw the stubble on Klaus' chin inches from her and she felt that he carried her across the room. Stefan followed on their heels. Klaus carried Caroline to her room and flicked on the lights with one finger. From the way he carried her she may have been light as a feather. He drew back her covers and put her in her bed, covering her again with sheets. Turning on the little light on her nightstand, he sat down onto the edge of her bed.

Caroline leaned back against her pillows, looking from Stefan to Klaus and back again. They both looked at her worriedly.

"Shall I get you anything else, Care? If you don't want milk, maybe some blood?"

"No." Caroline closed her eyes. "I want to forget. That's the only thing I want."

Klaus nodded slightly at Stefan. "From what I can hear, Rebekah is not only heating up some milk, she is fixing a platter of what not. Tell her she shouldn't bother will you? I'll be down in a minute as well, we need to fill in Elijah when he comes home."

Stefan looked quickly from Caroline to Klaus but he just nodded. He left the room quietly.

Caroline still had her eyes closed but she could feel Stefan leaving the room. Klaus was still perched on her bed.

"It may seem like the worst moment to you right now Caroline but believe me, it will be better by tomorrow. I promise. And give it some time and you will not feel the hurt anymore." Klaus said quietly. "There's so much in the world to see and you have so much time, Caroline. You _will_ forget about her."

Caroline opened her eyes and sat up again. She returned Klaus' gaze. "I don't meant that I want to forget Sandy. I want to forget the guilt. It is my fault, no matter what you say, Klaus."

"It is not your fault, love. And the feeling of guilt will go away once you had some time to process it."

Caroline didn't reply, she only looked at him.

"You should get some rest, it's been only a few hours since you had been poisoned. You are confused. And you are hurt. It'll all look different tomorrow. Do you need anything else? I will be downstairs but I'll hear you if you need anything, just call."

Caroline was still looking at Klaus. At one point, the numbness in her body had reached her brain and she wasn't able to form any coherent thought anymore. She was exhausted, he was right. And confused. And hurt. But she was also sad, and she felt lonely, and she felt a sense of despair.

Propping herself up on her hands, she inched closer to Klaus. For a split second, she could see the surprise on his face but then she was too close to see anything. She closed her eyes - and met his lips with hers.

Caroline moved her lips softly against his. She felt the stubble on his chin and although it always looked so scratchy it was actually kind of soft. She put one hand on his shoulder, only slightly holding on to him. It took Klaus a second to catch up but then she felt his lips move against hers. She smiled, opening her mouth slightly and teasing his lips with her tongue. He didn't hesitate and once Caroline realized that he was, in fact, more than happy to accommodate her, she held faster to his shoulder, moving her hand behind his neck and toying with is hair.

The kiss quickly grew more passionate and all softness was gone. Caroline leaned in closer, pressing her upper body against Klaus and moving her second arm behind his neck. Klaus' right hand rested lightly on her hip while he steadied himself with his left on the bed.

Caroline felt lightheaded. Her mind was blank and there wasn't a single thought in her head but she felt warm and alive and...she needed more. This was perfect.

She moved her right hand from his neck and trailed down the front of his shirt. Reaching the hem, she picked it up and slipped her hand underneath. She felt Klaus shudder and she replied with another smile and by deepening the kiss.

Klaus felt like he was dreaming. Was he dreaming?

His voice interrupted both of them, sounding breathless. "Love, are you sure this is what you want?"

Caroline frowned. What was he talking about? And why was he talking now at all?

"Does it matter what I want? I want to forget and right now I think I have forgotten everything." She moved her hand across his stomach, dragging the hem of his shirt up with her hand. Bringing her second hand for assistance, Caroline grabbed the shirt with both hands and pulled it over Klaus' head.

Immediately leaning in to continue the kiss, Caroline was confused when she felt Klaus draw back slightly. Putting both of his hands on her shoulders, he held her steady, drawing in a deep breath while leaning his forehead against hers.

"Caroline, you have been poisoned. Deadly, I must add. You just lost a friend. You are not in your right mind. I will get you some B+ and a glass of water and you will rest for a few minutes. " Klaus kissed her lightly on her forehead, getting up from the bed.

Caroline stared at him, not understanding a word he was saying.

"I'm back in a few minutes and if you then still want to take off my clothes then by all means, I won't stop you. But I have waited too long for this to have it being ruined by any regrets you may have tomorrow if you are not sure about what you are doing."

Klaus left the room without waiting for a reply. He paused at the top of the stairs for a second, pulling his shirt back over his head. He still felt breathless - and shocked. Did this really just happen? Did Caroline kiss him? Did Caroline...did she want this? Did she want him?

Like in trance, he moved slowly down the stairs, listening to voices. Rebekah and Stefan were talking in the sitting room and he could feel his brother's presence as well. So Elijah had returned. His brother had been playing babysitter for the pregnant wolf lately and apparently, he had brought her back after a day out in the country. He could hear Hayley's heartbeat on the first floor. A wave of gratitude towards Elijah ebbed through Klaus. Elijah must have been looking for Klaus when he returned and he must have known better than to disturb. He was always looking out for him, it seems.

Without entering the sitting room, Klaus went to the kitchen and grabbed a blood bag and a bottle of Evian from the fridge. Walking up the stairs he heard the voices pause. Apparently they had heard him in the kitchen.

Getting closer to Caroline's room, Klaus felt an unusual emotion. Nervousness.

Easing open the door, he immediately stopped in his tracks. Looking like an angel, Caroline was lying in her bad, blonde waves covering her pillows, sleeping.

He quietly put down the blood and the water on her nightstand and then leaned against the door, watching her.

He was a thousand years old but even if he would turn 5000, he would never forget what it had felt like to be kissed by Caroline Forbes for the first time.

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_**Puh. That was HARD WORK! I think you will have to wait a long time for any sex scene - I suck at writing this, clearly. I hope the kiss was not off-putting, I was trying my best to make it sound as good as it probably would be.**_

_**Now, what do you think? Let me know!**_

_**PS. I promise some more Rebekah and Stefan action in the upcoming chapter, and then we will finally get to Caroline's gift for Klaus - I hope you did not forget about that ;-) **_

_**Thank you so so so much for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing!**_


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